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The blunder was blamed on over-stocking and nursing staff who continued to use expired sutures against normal practice. Photo: May Tse

Over 100 heart patients 'stitched up with expired thread' at Hong Kong hospital

More than 100 patients at Queen Elizabeth Hospital were stitched up after heart surgery using thread past its expiry date because of an excess of stock and nurses failing to follow standard procedures.

More than 100 patients at Queen Elizabeth Hospital were stitched up after heart surgery using thread past its expiry date because of an excess of stock and nurses failing to follow standard procedures.

That was the conclusion announced by the Yau Ma Tei hospital on Friday based on the findings of its two investigation panels.

Some 13 of the 104 patients affected died but none of the deaths was related to the expired stitches, the investigators found.

The blunder emerged at the cardiothoracic surgery department on July 3, when a report stated that polyester sutures with an expiry date of June last year had been used on patients who had heart surgery between July and December last year.

The thread was vacuum sealed and sterilised, according to the report.

A new monitoring system set up by operating theatre administrators, and a lack of a monitoring system for purchasing supplies also contributed, the panels found.

A hospital spokeswoman said use of the sutures had not resulted in any infections.

“We are contacting the affected patients to explain the details, and appropriate tests will be arranged,” she added.

The hospital’s chief executive, Dr Albert Lo Chi-yuen, apologised to the patients and their relatives.

He said the hospital would enhance supervision and monitoring systems and improve cross-departmental management and communications, in line with the panels’ suggestions.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Nurses blamed for stitch blunder
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