Patient dies after nurses ignore 20 alarms Japan

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 25 Jul 2004 - 1:00 PDT

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A 23-year-old man died in March while under observation at a well-known Tokyo cardiac hospital after nurses ignored 20 alarms warning them that he was in danger of suffering cardiac arrest, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

Tomoaki Mashita was a fourth-year student at a national university when he died on March 23 at the Sakakibara Heart Institute in Fuchu, western Tokyo, his parents said.

The hospital, which is known for its advanced treatments for circulatory system diseases, has apologized to Mashita's relatives for failing to react to the alarms properly.

The Metropolitan Police Department is treating the case as suspected professional negligence resulting in death.

According to the hospital, Mashita, who underwent surgery when he was 6 years old to treat a congenital heart condition, was admitted on March 19 after developing swelling in the lower half of his body. He was diagnosed as having an irregular heartbeat and blood clots, and was placed under observation using an electrocardiogram. Continues.....................http://www.yomiuri.co.jp