Leaking central line

October 24, 2008

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A UK hospital have apologised to the family of a man who died following ”shortcomings” in the care he received. The 64-year-old, known only as “Mr C,” died of a heart attack at the Western General Hospital in 2006. He had been admitted four days earlier when his condition worsened following bowel surgery.

After a complaint to the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman, a number of issues were probed at the hospital’s high dependency ward. The ombudsman’s report noted that records had not been properly kept in the run-up to Mr C’s death, making it difficult for nurses to keep track of medication. It also highlighted a leaking insulin tube, which was designed for treating the man’s diabetes but was, in fact, only succeeding in making his gown wet.

The ombudsman’s report concluded: “The advisers were clear that one could not say whether Mr C’s death was avoidable. For example, one could not say that the issues with the leaking central line led to his death”.

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