Boy’s heart stops for 16 minutes after tube comes loose in Hong Kong hospital
Hong Kong Children’s Hospital in Kai Tak.
Photo: Sam Tsang A probe has been launched into a serious medical incident in which a six‑year‑old boy’s heart stopped for about 16 minutes at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital after his breathing tube came loose from the ventilator.
The hospital on Saturday said it was “deeply concerned” about the case. “The hospital has taken immediate measures to strengthen the monitoring of patients requiring ventilator care in the intensive care unit,” it said in a statement. “A root cause analysis panel will be set up to investigate the incident and recommend improvement measures.” According to the hospital, the boy, who suffers from a rare underlying disease, was admitted to the Kai Tak facility on December 24 last year.
He underwent an interventional procedure under general anaesthesia on Thursday, and was then transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit for monitoring, where he remained intubated and on ventilator support.
At 7.29am the following day, a nurse found him in cardiac arrest and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
During the emergency, staff discovered that the endotracheal tube connector had come loose from the tube.
The endotracheal tube is a flexible plastic tube inserted into the windpipe to keep the airway open and deliver oxygen directly to the lungs.
It was immediately reattached, and the boy regained spontaneous circulation at 7.36am after resuscitation.
Hospital records later showed he had been in asystole – a state where the heart has no electrical activity and stops beating – from 7.20am.
The boy developed seizures later, which were brought under control with anti‑epileptic medication.
He remains in intensive care, receiving ventilator support and protective treatment for his brain.
His blood pressure and circulation are stable, according to the hospital.
His parents have been informed of the incident and his condition.
The hospital said the panel set up to investigate the incident is expected to complete its work within eight weeks and submit a report to the Hospital Authority head office.
原文链接: 南华早报