Hong Kong infant who died of complications following surgery most likely had an anaesthesia-induced condition, inquest finds
- Jury finds 14-month-old Chiang Shing-fan died of misadventure after a rise in potassium caused his heart rate to plummet
- The Coroner’s Court recommended that blood and temperature tests be taken before operations to prevent similar incidents in future
The Coroner’s Court on Thursday urged Hong Kong’s public hospitals to step up blood and body temperature checks before operations, as it concluded the inquest into the death of a 14-month-old infant of rare complications following a simple eye surgery.
After four hours of deliberation, a panel of five jurors returned and judged the boy, Chiang Shing-fan, to have suffered from an anaesthesia-induced condition.
The development caused changes in his blood which affected his heart, and eventually led to his death, they found, before returning by 4 to 1 a verdict of misadventure.
Chiang died of multiple organ failure on March 17, 2016, two days after he had an operation to ease pressure in his eyes from congenital glaucoma.
The operation at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan went well until, shortly afterwards, Chiang’s heart rate started to suddenly plummet, causing him to require resuscitation. He died later after being transferred to Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam.
Various doctors, including those who treated the child, told the inquest that following the operation, there was a sudden increase of potassium, a substance which could affect heart rate.
