1 dead, another brain dead after ventilators failed, sources allege

 

Intensive care unit patients on ventilators are normally moved to a regular ward when the ICU is full, according to a doctor who has served in one. (Freepik pic)

PETALING JAYA: One patient died while another was declared brain dead within a week in two separate wards at a Klang Valley hospital, according to sources who allege that the deaths were due to ventilator failures.

In the first instance, the sources said medical staff tried to resuscitate a patient who was found unconscious and discovered that the ventilator had apparently failed.

One source said another patient was declared brain dead after being found unconscious for at least 15 minutes. It was found that the ventilator was not working, the source alleged.

The patient had been brought to the hospital with a fish bone stuck in the throat and received general anaesthesia for the examination. However, doctors could not locate the bone and the medical team decided to keep the patient sedated for 48 hours, the source said.

“The patient was later found unconscious,” the source said, adding that the discovery was not made for at least 15 minutes. It was also found that the ventilator was not working, the source alleged.

As with the first patient, the source said attempts to resuscitate were not successful and this patient was then declared brain dead.

According to doctors, denying the brain oxygen for more than 15 minutes is likely to result in a patients’ death or brain death.

One of the sources further claimed that there were two more cases linked to the alleged failure of ventilators. One patient was said to have been revived after the medical team performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while the condition of the other patient has not been confirmed.

Another source said an internal investigation has been launched to ascertain what caused the ventilators to fail.

A doctor who has served at an intensive care unit told FMT that patients on ventilators are normally moved to a regular ward when the ICU is full, which means the level of care is not as adequate as it would be in the ICU.

FMT has sought comment from the health minister and ministry officials. - FMT