Has anyone heard of needing a liver transplant d/t trauma?

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.

A friend of mine hit someone with her car who was riding a scooter. At first she didn't know what happened to the guy. A few days, she said her insurance company said he is still in ICU and needs a liver transplant.

I guess if a liver is damaged enough, you could need a transplant?

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Possible, if the accident cause major damages to the surrounding livers' arteries or disrupt body blood supply...

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Specializes in ER.

Why was the insurance company telling your friend he is still in the ICU and needs a liver transplant???? HIPPA violation bigtime.

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^ what she said

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

16 yr old Mexican boy in the trunk of a car Northbound on the freeway in way South New Mexico. No lights showing (a la midnight special), got rear ended by an El Camino around 01:30 AM.

I was on EMS, kid was curled up on the roadside, put a big IV in (by the light of a burning El Camino! Ahhh, the good old days). Kid had 1/3 of his liver removed at the hospital, was sent back to Juarez, Mexico very jaundiced, hope he found a liver donor, or things worked out for him some way, but will never know, I guess.

OP; buy some liver at the store and try suturing it. Like nailing Jello to a tree.

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

Ditto on the Hippa violation, but I suspect insurance agents don't care a rats asterisk about the HIPPA laws.

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I don't think it is necessarily a HIPAA violation. HIPAA provides for protection of information held by covered entities. Covered entitites are health providers, health plan etc. The auto insurer would not be a covered entity.

It's likely that the patient signed a release for the hospital etc to provide medical info to auto insurer, otherwise, the hospital would be in violation, since they are a covered entity. So, while highly unethical of the auto insurer to divulge info, it's not necessarily a HIPAA violation since they are not a covered entity.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

Entirely possible that the bike riding victim needs a new liver. Suturing a liver is like suturing key lime pie. Suturing the vessels around the liver that is bleeding like stink is even harder to do while using a 6-0 prolene and wearing loupes.

My prayers go out to the victim, as well as your friend who is no doubt beside themselves regarding the accident.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Peds ICU.

Not a HIPAA violation. If the patient is making a claim against your friend's auto insurance to cover his medical costs then he has to voluntarily disclose that information about his injuries and treatment to justify the claim.

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by the light of a burning El Camino

There's a name for a novel, a song, or a band in that. What a vivid scene those eight words create!

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.

My friend is beside herself and we have been praying for the victim. It was her auto insurance company that gave her the info. The person who posted that about the victim making a claim against her insurance is correct. It isn't a HIPAA violation.

PS... Your average $100,000 auto liability policy could not withstand a claim like this. My friend could end up in serious financial trouble. Re-think your insurance everyone. Get a $1,000,000 umbrella policy, especially if you own a home and have teen drivers.

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Yup, TEENS and their troubles

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