A Brazilian man who was certified dead in hospital was later found to be alive at a funeral home where preparations for his wake were already underway.
Juraci Rosa Alves, 88, was admitted to a hospital on May 16 suffering from respiratory failure. A doctor later certified him dead, after which his body was transferred to a funeral home for post-mortem procedures.
However, while staff at the funeral home were preparing him for burial arrangements, they noticed unusual movement. A nursing supervisor at the facility said workers initially observed what appeared to be abdominal movement and suspected breathing.
Medical staff at the funeral home immediately checked for vital signs and confirmed he was still alive. Emergency responders were called to the scene, where he received urgent care before being sedated, intubated, and transferred back to a hospital in Presidente Prudente.
A family member said preparations for the wake had already begun before they were informed of delays in the process. The relative added that confusion followed when they later learned the man had been moved from the hospital to the funeral home, only for staff there to detect that he was still breathing.
Authorities have opened an investigation into the incident, with reports indicating possible failure to provide adequate assistance. The identity of the doctor who certified the death has not been released.
Alves, who lives in Emilianópolis, is currently receiving treatment in intensive care. He remains intubated and is said to be in serious but stable condition.
The hospital that first handled the case has announced an internal review to determine how the certification of death occurred and what led to the sequence of events.
