Report: Ohio nurse didn't realize she took kidney
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A report says a nurse who accidentally disposed of a kidney during an Ohio transplant didn’t realize the organ was in cold slush that she removed from the operating room and took down a hallway to a “dirty utility room.”
The report health officials released today says the nurse said she was on break when a surgeon announced the kidney was in the protective slush during the Aug. 10 transplant at the University of Toledo Medical Center.
The report cites poor communication and oversight and insufficient policies as factors in the incident. It says the hospital has since enacted clearer policies about communication and the removal of contents from an operating room.
It’s not clear what happened to the intended kidney recipient.
A request for comment was left with the hospital.