When a person is in need of a life-saving organ transplant, they sometimes wait years for a donor match. If a patient's doctor manages to line up a viable organ, then that news is undoubtedly met with jubilation. As we reported just over a month ago, one Ohio man's joy was cut short when a nurse threw away a kidney intended for transplant.

Initial media reports indicated that human error led to the man's kidney being put in the trash while he waited on the operating table. After weeks of silence, a state health agency released a report detailing what exactly caused this terrible medical error. Apparently, the nurse was unaware she was throwing away a vital organ.

The kidney in question was being stored in a container with cold solution to preserve its viability for the upcoming transplant. In the end, the nurse didn't realize the kidney was being stored in this way.

The report went on to say that the nurse who threw away the kidney was on break while the surgeon made an announcement about the kidney. Unfortunately, the nurse taking her place while she was on break received the message, but not everyone else did. This fact raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of communication in hospitals.

In the end, the report indicated that the Ohio hospital was not in compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services standards for transplantation. This will affect the way the hospital can offer and promote its services.

At this point, the hospital is looking for ways it can change procedures to improve communication in the operating room. Hopefully these efforts will help prevent such simple — yet costly — medical mistakes from happening in the future.

Regardless of what reforms are made within the hospital, it will not change what happened to the man while he waited for the crucial operation. The hope is that he will not only receive the organ transplant he needs, but also find a sense of justice for his medical providers' negligence.

Source: KNOE-TV News, "Report: Ohio nurse didn't realize she took kidney," Kantele Franko, Sept. 24, 2012

• Medical providers, at all levels, have a responsibility to their patients. Our firm has experience helping those affected by medical malpractice, including errors associated with nursing negligence. Please see our medical malpractice page for more information.