TAIPEI - The head of an organ transplant task force at Taiwan University Hospital has resigned,taking responsibility for the hospital's recent HIV-positive organ transplant accident.
Ko Wen-tse was responsible for forming and managing the hospital's organ transplant taskforce and also wrote the guidelines for the hospital's transplant team.
The team relied on information relayed by their organ transplant coordinator over the phoneduring which a misunderstanding occurred. The team also failed to confirm the donor's HIV testresults on the computer before transplanting organs from an HIV-positive donor into fourpatients, according to local media reports.
The medical accident occurred on August 24 when the transplant team of Taiwan UniversityHospital removed organs from a person who had been pronounced brain-dead at Hsinchu'sNanmen Hospital.
His heart went to a patient at the Cheng Kung University Hospital while his liver, a lung, and twokidneys were delivered to four recipients waiting at Taiwan University Hospital.
Transplant team members at Taiwan University Hospital heard the coordinator on the phonesay the test results were non-reactive, and proceeded to perform four transplant procedures.
The Cheng Kung University Hospital took the Taiwan University Hospital transplant team's wordthat the organs were non-reactive and went ahead with the heart transplant.
After completing the transplant surgeries, medical staff examined the donor's medical recordsand only then learned that he had been HIV-positive.
This accident marks the first time that organ transplants might lead to recipients contractingAIDS in Taiwan.
The Taipei prosecutors office has begun probing the case.
PRIVACY SHOULD BE RESPECTED
Taiwan University Hospital Thursday issued a statement, saying that the four recipientsinvolved in the HIV-positive organ transplant accident were all currently in stable condition andthe hospital was providing necessary medical treatment and care to the four patients.
The organ recipients' relatives are facing huge pressure, as the identities and health conditionsof the four recipients were given too much attention, said the statement.
It is hoped that organ recipients' privacy as well as the privacy of their family members could berespected by all social circles, so that patients can peacefully receive medical treatment andfamily members can take care of patients wholeheartedly, said the statement.
On August 27, the Taiwan University Hospital admitted that its medical team did not followstandard operating procedures in carrying out the organ transplants on August 24.
Taiwan's health authorities on Wednesday launched a spot check of the hospital and orderedthe hospital to make improvements in various aspects of its organ transplant procedures,including establishing a warning mechanism for major hospital tests and enhancing stafftraining.
Members of the Taiwan University Hospital's organ transplant team have been required tospeak in Chinese when discussing HIV-test results, according to a recent decision made by thehospital, so as to prevent medical mistakes from occurring again.
HIV test results are usually written in English, not Chinese, leading to the telephone confusionbetween the Chinese-speaking organ transplant coordinator and organ transplant team whichresulted in the HIV-positive, or reactive, organs being cleared for transplant.
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