Probe launched after feeding tube incident leaves Hong Kong patient in critical condition
- Feeding tube of patient, 61, mistakenly inserted into his airway and left undetected for more than a day, authorities say
Hong Kong health authorities have launched an investigation into a case involving a 61-year-old patient’s feeding tube being mistakenly inserted into his airway and left undetected for more than a day, leaving him in a critical condition.
Health minister Lo Chung-mau offered his deepest sympathies on Thursday to the patient and his family, saying that hospital staff would take care of the patient.
“I feel a lot of sadness and regret, as this type of incident where something was mistakenly inserted into the wrong tract, has happened before,” he said.
A nurse in an orthopaedic ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei had replaced the man’s feeding tube at midday on Sunday as part of normal procedures, authorities said.
But another nurse felt the need to reinsert the tube – which went to the patient’s stomach via his nose – that evening, the Hospital Authority said on Wednesday.
An authority spokesman said the nurse followed protocol to verify the tube’s position. Feeding of formula milk to the man then resumed, followed by a chest X-ray.
However, his condition suddenly deteriorated in the early hours of Tuesday. Doctors resuscitated the patient and performed a bronchoscopy – a procedure that allowed them to look at his lungs and air passages. They then discovered the feeding tube in his left bronchus, an airway leading to the lung.
The tube was immediately removed and the man was transferred to the high dependency unit for monitoring. He was then moved to the intensive care unit.
The patient remained in a critical condition, the spokesman said, adding the hospital was “saddened by the incident” and had met the patient’s family to explain it.
Health minister Lo added that there were clear procedures on the insertion of a feeding tube and that medical staff involved should be fully aware of such guidelines.
An investigatory panel chaired by Kwong Wah Hospital chief executive Dr Tang Kam-shing has been set up to look into the cause of the blunder and will submit a report within eight weeks with recommendations for improvement.
The health minister pledged to take action as soon as possible if human error was involved.
Dr Fong Wing-chi, chief of service at Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s medicine department, is one of the five panel members.
The hospital would remain in close contact with the man’s family and continue to provide help, the spokesman added.
Alex Lam Chi-yau, chairman of advocacy group Hong Kong Patients’ Voices, said the Hospital Authority needed to look into whether they had a structural issue arising from a manpower shortage following a series of similar mishaps.
“A repeat of similar incidents may reflect that there is a lack of medical staff,” he said. “This may also indicate a structural issue.”
“The Hospital Authority needs to look into whether they have sufficient manpower to take care of its patients,” Lam added.
