Hongkonger suffers cardiac arrest after nurse ‘fails to switch on ventilator’
Queen Mary Hospital rejects claim that patient fell into coma, but source accuses authorities of downplaying seriousness of incident
A 50-year-old patient’s heart stopped beating temporarily at Hong Kong’s Queen Mary Hospital after a nurse failed to switch on his ventilator for a few minutes, the Post has learned.
According to a source, the man spent several days in a coma, but the hospital on Tuesday rejected the claim and said the incident had no significant impact on his clinical condition.
The insider also told the Post that the Hospital Authority should have promptly disclosed the case, which related to the patient’s cardiac arrest after surgery on July 21, as the severity of the matter was of grave public interest.
The source, who is a medical professional, added that any delay to reporting the case was unjustifiable.
“The patient’s heartbeat had stopped after he was deprived of his oxygen supply for a few minutes as the nurse failed to switch on the ventilator following the completion of mucus suction procedures,” the insider said on Saturday.
“A deprivation of oxygen is highly likely to result in brain damage. The patient quickly suffered cardiac arrest, requiring immediate resuscitation.