Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Tonsil Surgery Causes Trouble in California

Related: Globe Xmas Gift: Tonsillectomy Proves Fatal in California

"Facility won’t accept brain-dead Calif. girl" Associated Press,  December 28, 2013

OAKLAND, Calif. — A San Francisco Bay Area nursing home that had agreed to provide long-term care for a 13-year-old Oakland girl declared brain dead has backed out.

The facility, which has not been named, withdrew after the Children’s Hospital Oakland, where Jahi McMath is now on a ventilator, refused to insert the breathing and feeding tubes necessary for her long-term care because it ‘‘does not believe that performing surgical procedures on the body of a deceased person is an appropriate medical practice.’’

A lawyer for Children’s Hospital Oakland said in a letter made public Friday that before the hospital would comply with the family’s request to move Jahi, it would need to speak directly with officials at any nursing home to make sure they understand her condition, ‘‘including the fact that Jahi is brain dead’’ — and to discuss needed preparations, including transportation.

Lawyer Douglas Straus also said the Alameda County coroner needs to sign off on the move. Jahi underwent tonsil surgery at Children’s Hospital on Dec. 9 to treat sleep apnea. After she awoke from the operation, her family said, she started bleeding heavily from her mouth and went into cardiac arrest.

And that is supposed to be an easy operation.

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Globe still looking down her throat.

"Judge orders Calif. girl kept on life support" Associated Press, December 31, 2013

OAKLAND, Calif. —A California judge Monday ordered a 13-year-old girl who was declared brain dead to be kept on life support until Jan. 7....

The latest ruling on Monday came after the family said it would sue to keep Jahi on life support. Omari Sealey, an uncle of Jahi, disclosed the plan to seek a restraining order against Doctors at Children’s Hospital.

Sealey said the family took video of Jahi responding when her mother touched and talked to her. He also said a pediatrician examined her and said she was not dead.

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Related: Sunday Globe Special: The Problem With Justina Pelletier