This makes me sick to my stomach. How could they do this and think
it was o k? :mad: :mad: :( :(
Dog Given Aneurysm, Killed After Sales Pitch
Cleveland Clinic Reports Surgeon To Ag Dept.
POSTED: 10:52 am EST January 12, 2007
CLEVELAND -- A neurosurgeon at the renowned Cleveland Clinic used a dog with an induced brain aneurysm to demonstrate a medical device to salespeople, the Clinic said Thursday.
The surgeon, who was not immediately identified, was presenting the device Wednesday to a group of people who sell it, and the dog was anesthetized during the demonstration and euthanized afterward, the Clinic said.
The hospital, which confirmed the incident to The Associated Press, said it was unauthorized.
"As an academic medical center, Cleveland Clinic does not allow procedures with animals for the sole purpose of sales training. The situation that occurred yesterday was unauthorized and not in compliance with our policy," the Clinic said in a statement.
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer first reported the story on its Web site.
An aneurysm is when arteries or blood vessels bulge and eventually burst, which can cause severe damage or death.
The Clinic said the surgeon did not have permission from the hospital's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to host the demonstration. The doctor submitted an application to the committee, but its members never reviewed it, the hospital said, and, if they had, they would have rejected the request because of the Clinics' policy.
The incident has been reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates animal testing, the Clinic said.
After-hours messages left with the USDA were not immediately returned.
The statement said the hospital is a national leader in researching brain aneurysms, which affect about 100,000 Americans each year, killing between 30,000 and 40,000 of them.
An internal investigation was being conducted and the Clinic plans to provide future training for doctors to prevent a similar incident in the future, the hospital's statement said.
"The Cleveland Clinic is committed to integrity in research and to the treatment of animals for research and medical education. It is our policy to carefully evaluate non-animal alternatives and the minimal use of animals," it said.
The Clinic boasts 1,500 physicians, the No. 1 heart center in U.S. News & World Report's rankings and Top 10 national rankings by the magazine in 10 other specialties. World leaders, royalty and sports stars are often among its high-profile patients.
