Back From The Dead

THE case of a man whose heart stopped beating for 1-1/2 hours only to revive just as doctors were preparing to remove his organs for transplants is fuelling ethical debates in France about when a person is dead.

The 45-year-old man suffered a massive heart attack and rescuers used cardiac massage to try and revive him without success before transferring him to a nearby hospital.

Due to a series of complex circumstances, revival efforts continued for longer than usual for a patient whose heart was not responding to treatment, until doctors started preparations to remove organs.

It was at that point that the astonished surgeons noticed the man was beginning to breathe unaided again, his pupils were active, he was giving signs that he could feel pain -- and finally, his heart started beating again. (Full Story at news)



There are already people who claim that if you are an organ donor many hospitals will pronounce you dead quicker to get your organs. I don't know the veracity of the claim (I'm an organ donor and I'm not all that concerned) but this will certainly cause a stir for some folks - maybe even a lawsuit or two?. . .