Rigorous standards on organ donations

Re “Close call in death ruling of potential organ donor,” April 12

The article places undue emphasis on the patient being a “potential organ donor,” as brain-death diagnoses and declarations are made entirely independent of decisions to be organ donors.

Brain death was formalized to enable families, doctors and hospitals to cease the futile care of patients whose hearts and breathing would stop without mechanical support. This patient and family were fortunate that the organ recovery coordinator was a part of a team that identified the misdiagnosis before the attending physician acted on The Times’ cited statement, “We’re pulling the plug.”

Very occasionally, declaration of death can be uncertain. This is why California has a more rigorous standard than some states and requires a confirmatory declaration by a second physician. This is also why organ recovery organizations work to a higher standard than state laws and routinely verify brain death when a family consents to donation and monitors a potential donor for up to 36 hours before recovery.

Finally, each organ recovery surgeon verifies the potential donor’s death declaration before beginning recovery procedures.

THOMAS MONE

Chief Executive, OneLegacy

Los Angeles