Lethal blunder: Hong Kong sepsis patient dies after nurse forgot to turn respirator on at PMH
A 58-year-old man who suffered from sepsis died at Princess Margaret Hospital after a nurse forgot to turn on his respirator, the Hospital Authority said Friday.
A 58-year-old man who suffered from sepsis died at Princess Margaret Hospital after a nurse forgot to turn on his respirator, the Hospital Authority said Friday.
The hospital has apologised to the patient’s family and will form a committee to investigate the case.
The authority said the man was admitted to the medicine and geriatrics ward of the hospital in Lai Chi Kok on Wednesday for shock caused by sepsis, a whole-body inflammatory response to an infection. A doctor then prescribed heart medication to the patient on account of his low blood pressure.
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His condition deteriorated and he was sent to the intensive care unit at around 1am on Thursday, where he was prescribed a higher dosage of heart medication. His kidney functions also started to weaken and he had dialysis and was given an increased supply of oxygen.
The patient became unconscious around 5.30am and a doctor put him on a respirator to help him breathe. Later, a nurse turned off the machine in order to adjust the placement of the ventilator modules, but the nurse forgot to turn it back on after the adjustment.
The patient’s heart stopped beating after about one minute. His heartbeat returned after emergency treatment and he regained consciousness Thursday morning.