The story of Anthony Thomas, a 36-year-old American who woke up while doctors were trying to harvest his organs after an overdose, created a shock wave in France. According to the Biomedicine Agency, the media coverage of this affair caused a tenfold increase in organ donation refusals in the space of 24 hours.
This situation is however considered “strictly impossible” in France, according to various specialists, in particular because of the very strict procedures for declaring death, involving several doctors and a series of imaging examinations.
The Biomedicine Agency has expressed its concerns, saying that the dissemination of this information brings discredit to organ donation and transplantation in France. Several anesthesiologists have also expressed doubts about the reliability of this information. “Thousands of people are waiting for a vital transplant in France, we cannot allow information to circulate that is unverified and so harmful to these patients,” concluded the public agency.
 Pascal Lemontel
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23/10/2024 | 
