Also known as: CF
Brecka is a young woman with end-stage cystic fibrosis awaiting a double lung transplant. Her case drives a major storyline involving ex vivo lung perfusion when donor lungs initially appear non-viable due to pneumonia.
Also known as: Lung infection
The donor lungs intended for Brecka arrive with bilateral pneumonia, requiring ex vivo lung perfusion treatment to make them viable for transplantation.
Also known as: Brain-eating amoeba infection
Ricky contracts a rare and deadly brain-eating amoeba infection from contaminated tap water used in a nasal rinse. The infection causes severe cerebral swelling requiring barbiturate coma, surgical port placement, and ultimately removal of damaged brain cortex to control seizures.
Also known as: Iron overload
A clinical trial patient develops symptoms that initially suggest he lied about having hemochromatosis. It's later discovered he's been a lifelong blood donor, which kept his hereditary condition asymptomatic until he stopped donating per trial protocol.
Also known as: Impalement
Ricky initially presents with a rusty nail through his foot at church camp, which causes fever and leads to the discovery of his more serious amoeba infection.