Wrongly inserted tube killed patient, inquest told

A woman with heart disease died after a junior doctor wrongly inserted a tube into her body 13cm from where it should have been, an inquest heard yesterday.

Cheng Lai-yin, 64, was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital complaining of heart problems on November 19, 1999. Dr Chan Ying-ho, a houseman with five months' experience at the hospital, performed an operation on her to remove bone marrow for diagnosis the next day. The inquest heard Dr Chan put a tube into a part of Cheng's rib, 13cm higher than where it was supposed to be inserted. The mistake led to bleeding, the patient's condition worsened and she later died from a heart attack. Coroner Michael Chan Pik-kiu recorded a verdict of accidental death.