Montreal health authority investigating after surgery patient was left 'abandoned' in empty hospital ward
CBC
A succession of errors led to a patient, who was still recovering from anesthesia and surgery, being abandoned on an empty floor without supervision or medical assistance for hours, Radio-Canada has learned.
The incident occured at Fleury Hospital, in Montreal's north end, on the night of Feb. 3, several Radio-Canada sources learned.
The patient, a firefighter, was supposed to be sent to the eighth floor for overnight observation after an evening surgery. However, the orderly erroneously took him to the third floor — intended for day surgeries — which is closed at night.
According to sources, the orderly saw someone in the hallway and assumed it was a nurse, when it was in fact a maintenance worker. The worker didn't see the patient and then closed the door on their way out.
For hours, none of the medical staff noticed the patient was missing. It wasn't until his wife, who was waiting for him on the eighth floor, started asking questions around 1 a.m. that a staff member went to investigate.
A co-ordinator went to the operating room but was unable to find the patient there. Still, no one activated a code yellow to signal that the man was missing.
The patient, who was recovering from anesthesia, woke up about two hours later, around 3 a.m., with no one around. In a gown, without a cell phone, he found the strength to go to the nurses' station, but no one was there.
He then picked up a phone and called security, who reportedly hung up on him.
The man then called his wife to come get him, and the couple decided to leave the hospital. The patient's vital signs and pain were assessed before he was discharged, and he refused further treatment.
Hospital and health authority staff say the case raises concerns about the quality of care being provided. (Radio-Canada has agreed not to name them, as they are not authorized to speak to the media.)
"He could have died 100 times," said a source who is not authorized to speak to the media.
"Everyone was shocked," said another source. "It shouldn't happen."
The regional health authority, the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, confirmed that a patient was taken to the wrong floor of Fleury Hospital on Feb. 3. It said that after realizing the patient had disappeared, the medical team called the patient, who was able to speak with his surgeon.
"Our priority was to continue caring for the patient at home," said CIUSSS spokesperson Marie-Hélène Giguère.
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