Medical mistakes

My dad told me this story yesterday. It happened in a local hospital and the doctor involved was a friend of friend (as is often the case). Anyway, I am shocked and horrified in more ways than one and I wanted to share and see what you guys think...


A middle-aged anesthesiologist with about 25 years of experience under her belt messed up a very basic setting on the ventilator during a routine surgery (I don't know the technical terms so I'm risking making an ass out of myself here, but apparently she had it set to just give the patient oxygen rather than providing full mechanical ventilation, when in fact the patient needed the latter.) The patient died as a direct result of this mistake, and later a nurse came back into the OR to find the physician unconscious on the floor after she'd tried to kill herself. They revived her but it looks like she's sustained long-term brain damage.


My kneejerk reaction was first grief and sympathy for all involved, and then wanting to defend the anesthesiologist.

My dad's reaction? He wanted to call the newspaper and tell them 😕 I was infuriated on behalf of this woman who had obviously already been through enough and who was not going to be practicing medicine again any time soon, if ever. He said that as a professional who'd been working so long she should've been sad but just moved on about the mistake, and that the community "deserved to know what's happening at their hospital". I am still angry and confused as to how that could be someone's response to such a horrific tragedy, and I was hoping to hear your thoughts on the subject.

That is a very sad thing to hear.

life is complicated....

It's a tough issue. Personally, I would report it because it involved the death of a patient. However, I would leave the second half out, or change the story (as newspapers so often do).

The way I followed your story, someone at the hospital may have relayed what happened to the doctor's family, a member of which relayed it to your friend, who relayed it to you. So, you would have gotten, at best, the fourth iteration of the story.

There are many grieving people involved, both for the patient and the doctor. If those immediate family members wish to share their story with the press, they will. Since your dad is just part of the rumor mill, and does not have any direct information, he should leave it up to those affect to do what they see fit. That's just my opinion as someone far removed from the situation who just heard the story maybe fifth hand.

Although your dilemma is interesting, it is more suited to the Topics in Healthcare forum. So, I'm moving this thread there. Interested members may continue to follow and comment in that forum.

Eh, I'd just make sure I never got admitted to that hospital.

OMG, that sux big time. She should have done a better job trying to kill herself, instead of just making a cry out for support and sympathy. Better dead than permanently brain damaged, that is my humble opinion.

And even better, don't become an anesthesiologist.

MilesMayhem said:

OMG, that sux big time. She should have done a better job trying to kill herself, instead of just making a cry out for support and sympathy. Better dead than permanently brain damaged, that is my humble opinion.

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If you intended that pun then my hat is off to you.

MilesMayhem said:

And even better, don't become an anesthesiologist.

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But that's just bashing.

docB said:

If you intended that pun then my hat is off to you.

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Are you really wearing a hat? Or is it more like a baseball cap?

docB said:

But that's just bashing.

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No, it's the truth. An ungrateful job, where small slip-ups would cost you your house, car, boat, freedom, source of income. I would probably have killed a patient every other week, considering how sloppy I work e.g at the bench, even when I try hard to concentrate. It is human to do mistakes, but still people expect you to crucify yourself for being human. And nowhere are the stakes higher than surgery, ob/gyn and anesthesiology. The anesthesiologists have the added benefit of looking like the surgeons waiter, they are doing their work so the surgeon can do the "real deal." Ouch. No wonder suicide rates are so high.

tibor75 said:

Eh, I'd just make sure I never got admitted to that hospital.

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no kidding. It's kind of bad to say, but I'm actually amused at the whole story. It is devastating for the patient, a heartbreaking story really but I am quite amused when looking at the anesthetist thought process and actions taken.

*puts flaming suit on*

Come to think of it more, where the heck were the rest of the staff? Why was this anesthetist alone long enough to cause all this mess?

There isn't enough information to really understand what happened.
In general though if a patient dies because of a direct medical error the state is going to be notified, and at minimum the incident is going to be peer reviewed and appropriate action will be taken by the hospital both to address the incident and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
It is not helpful for someone who only knows a small part of the story to contact the media and trigger more confusion and distress to everyone involved.

tibor75 said:

Eh, I'd just make sure I never got admitted to that hospital.

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Or any hospital.. I dont even want an ER visit.. I even tell my mom "dont ever go to the hospital" ( I mean if you r leg is fractured gotta go) But I stress preventive medicine..And I stress walk softly carry a big stick...