Patient’s death referred to Hong Kong coroner; botched eye procedures under investigation
- Laser treatment on wrong eye among the ophthalmology incidents being reviewed by investigation panels
- Death of 83-year-old man to go before coroner’s court after care he received found to be inadequate
The death of a hospital patient with abnormally high potassium levels has been referred to the coroner after the care he received was found to be inadequate, as two more medical blunders involving laser eye procedures were revealed on Saturday.
Investigation panels will be set up by Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan, the location of the death and one of the bungled eye procedures, and Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital in Tai Po, where the other medical mistake was made.
The deceased patient, an 83-year-old man with lymphoma, was admitted to Eastern Hospital on September 30 due to shortness of breath.
Five days later, he was sent to the public hospital’s intensive care unit after suffering acute respiratory failure. During his time at the unit, he was given medication for hyperkalemia, a condition where the levels of potassium in the body are unusually high.
The man was transferred to the medical ward after his condition stabilised on Wednesday, but he required monitoring and treatment for his potassium condition. During his stay, blood tests were performed, which detected repeatedly high levels of potassium.
