PITTSBURGH, May 26 (UPI) -- A Pittsburgh hospital Thursday said it disciplined a surgeon and a nurse for proceeding with a kidney transplant from a hepatitis C-infected live donor.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said the doctor and nurse on the transplant team missed discovering the disease before the surgery was performed this month, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
"We also voluntarily suspended the live-donor liver program as a precautionary measure. There have been no issues with that program," UPMC spokeswoman Jennifer Yates said, adding the suspension is temporary.
The medical personnel were apparently demoted, the Post-Gazette said, adding Yates declined to provide further details.
On May 6 the hospital notified federal authorities about the hepatitis C problem, setting into motion county, state and federal investigations and a review by the United Network for Organ Sharing, the newspaper said.
It has not yet been determined when UPMC will restart its live-donor transplant program, which is on hold at least until the completion of the UNOS review.
