This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22882614
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Sarah Murnaghan gets lung transplant | Sarah Murnaghan gets lung transplant |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A severely ill 10-year-old girl to whom a US judge granted a prime spot on the adult transplant list despite her youth has received a new set of lungs. | A severely ill 10-year-old girl to whom a US judge granted a prime spot on the adult transplant list despite her youth has received a new set of lungs. |
| Sarah Murnaghan's mother Janet wrote on Facebook the family was "overwhelmed with emotions". It was unclear whether the lungs were from an adult or child. | Sarah Murnaghan's mother Janet wrote on Facebook the family was "overwhelmed with emotions". It was unclear whether the lungs were from an adult or child. |
| The family had challenged a US policy relegating under-12s to the bottom of the adult organ donation list. | The family had challenged a US policy relegating under-12s to the bottom of the adult organ donation list. |
| Analysts have warned the judge's decision set a dangerous precedent. | Analysts have warned the judge's decision set a dangerous precedent. |
| The Obama administration declined to intervene in Sarah's case, arguing transplant policy should be made by doctors and scientists rather than the government. Children under 12 have priority for paediatric lung donations, but far fewer paediatric lungs are donated than adult lungs. | The Obama administration declined to intervene in Sarah's case, arguing transplant policy should be made by doctors and scientists rather than the government. Children under 12 have priority for paediatric lung donations, but far fewer paediatric lungs are donated than adult lungs. |
| Long surgery | Long surgery |
| Since Sarah's case came to light, the national organisation that sets organ transplant policy has created a special appeal and review system for such patients. | Since Sarah's case came to light, the national organisation that sets organ transplant policy has created a special appeal and review system for such patients. |
| Thirty-one children under the age of 11 are on the waiting list for a lung transplant, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, out of a total of 1,650 potential lung recipients. | Thirty-one children under the age of 11 are on the waiting list for a lung transplant, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, out of a total of 1,650 potential lung recipients. |
| Last week, US District Judge Michael Baylson, who is independent of the Obama administration, ruled Sarah and another child at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, 11-year-old Javier Acosta, eligible for a better spot on the adult list. | |
| Both children suffer from with cystic fibrosis, a chronic lung disease. Sarah's condition had worsened significantly in the last 18 months, diminishing her lung capacity to 30%. | Both children suffer from with cystic fibrosis, a chronic lung disease. Sarah's condition had worsened significantly in the last 18 months, diminishing her lung capacity to 30%. |
| Last month she was admitted to the intensive care unit in hospital. Doctors told the Murnaghans that if Sarah were an adult, she would likely be at "the very top" of the lung transplant list. | Last month she was admitted to the intensive care unit in hospital. Doctors told the Murnaghans that if Sarah were an adult, she would likely be at "the very top" of the lung transplant list. |
| Let the system decide | Let the system decide |
| Sarah's surgery began around 12:00 local time (16:00 GMT) on Wednesday and could take six to 12 hours. | Sarah's surgery began around 12:00 local time (16:00 GMT) on Wednesday and could take six to 12 hours. |
| Some analysts warned the intervention of politicians and judges in the cases would set a dangerous precedent. | |
| Dr Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University Langone Medical Center, said children fare worse than adults after lung transplants, one of the reasons for the existing policy. | Dr Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University Langone Medical Center, said children fare worse than adults after lung transplants, one of the reasons for the existing policy. |
| "In general, the road to a transplant is still to let the system decide who will do best with scarce, lifesaving organs," Dr Caplan said. | "In general, the road to a transplant is still to let the system decide who will do best with scarce, lifesaving organs," Dr Caplan said. |
| "And it's important that people understand that money, visibility, being photogenic... are factors that have to be kept to a minimum if we're going to get the best use out of the scarce supply of donated cadaver organs.'' | "And it's important that people understand that money, visibility, being photogenic... are factors that have to be kept to a minimum if we're going to get the best use out of the scarce supply of donated cadaver organs.'' |
| Adult donor lungs must also be "downsized" to fit a child's thoracic cavity. | Adult donor lungs must also be "downsized" to fit a child's thoracic cavity. |
| Just one lung transplant from a donor older than 18 and a recipient younger than 12 has occurred in the US since 2007, according to US government data. | Just one lung transplant from a donor older than 18 and a recipient younger than 12 has occurred in the US since 2007, according to US government data. |