Medical Malpractice Case #1

FAILURE TO OBTAIN BLOOD TYPE

Pictured above is an inside look into one of the most prestigious medical facilities in the U.S, Duke University Hospital. In 2003 the medical practice was under fire for their irresponsible behaviour surrounding the organ transplant of a 17 year old girl, Jesica Santilian, when performing a heart and lung transplant

without checking the blood type of the patient.

Jesica suffered severe brain damage and went into a coma, her body shut down, at which point the healthcare workers finally realised they made a mistake. To make matters worse, they covered this mistake for eleven days, exacerbating Jesica’s brain damage, reaching a fatal point. Jesica passed away, and the doctor took responsibility. There are now courses in Jesica’s name, detailing the sufficient checks needed before continuing with an organ transplant, and the surgery remains one of the top eight organ transplant surgeries in the United States.