Plundered body parts implanted in thousands

[Pendragon_6]

Macabre scandal may involve more tainted transplants than earlier feared

Louis Lanzano / AP
Updated: 6:18 p.m. ET March 14, 2006

NEW YORK -

A macabre scandal in which corpses were plundered for body parts could be even bigger than previously disclosed, with one company alone saying it has distributed thousands of pieces of human tissue that authorities fear could be tainted with disease.

In addition, three other companies have reported quarantining or destroying more than $5 million in tissue from Biomedical Tissue Services — the now-defunct New Jersey supply house at the center of the scandal.

While the exact number of pieces distributed and used in operations has not been revealed, hospitals in recent weeks have spoken of contacting hundreds of patients who may have received tainted tissue.


In Full
MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11828651/)

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

This is very serious, with dire implications, wow!

Two paragraphs that cause pause:

"Minneapolis-based distributor Medtronic Inc. reported that at least 8,000 pieces that came from BTS were implanted, and others are being recalled, according to documents filed January in a federal lawsuit in Ohio."

Can one "recall" body parts? I realized these weren't implanted yet, but what of those that were? If the body has no complications, should they still be removed and replaced because they came from that organization? If they aren't, and later some problem develops, what would be the recourse and liability?

"“At this time the agency is not releasing any specifics of that investigation in order to preserve the integrity of that investigation,” FDA spokesman Stephen King wrote in an e-mail."

I'm truly not trying to be macbre, but doesn't the spokesman's name bring eerily to mind a strong sense of "what the ... ??" This situtation could very well be attributed as a great story plot, :smirky: (no sense of disrespect intended).