Recently, four organ transplant patients were infected with HIV and hepatitis–a rare occurrence. One of the patients claims, through her lawyer, that the risks of the procedure were not disclosed to her.
A major issue here is that the kidney donor was considered “high risk” by the standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but the patient was not informed of this. If that is indeed what occurred, it is a major ethical violation.
The other issue is that the patient was not tested for HIV following the transplant.
This battle will be investigated and fought out in court. Regardless of the outcome, it highlights the necessity of following proper ethical procedures in organ transplants and in all medical matters.