• 20
  • September
    2011

Suffering a serious brain injury can dramatically alter the course of one's life in many ways. A brain injury, whether mild or traumatic, can cause permanent medical issues and require long-term care. Depending on the circumstances, a brain injury can be fatal.

Earlier this month, California's Department of Public Health penalized a dozen hospitals in the state. Each of these institutions had been cited for errors that could have caused "serious injury or even death". One error in particular caused severe brain damage in a patient, eventually killing him.

The hospital had admitted the patient with the knowledge that the patient had an abnormal heart rhythm. Because of this condition, the patient was electronically monitored so that if any dangerous changes occurred, hospital staff would be notified. While the machine did keep track of his heart rhythm, the machine had been placed on standby.

As a result, when the man's heart rhythm did change, no alarm was set off. In fact, investigators are still not sure how long the man was in cardiac arrest before he was found. Because he did not receive immediate medical attention, the man suffered a brain injury - the cardiac arrest prevented oxygen from flowing to his brain.

The damage from the cardiac arrest was irreversible and the man died a few days later. His loved ones may wonder for the rest of their lives whether he would still be alive if the machine had not been in standby mode.

This man's story is an example of how serious a brain injury can be. Whether caused by lack of oxygen, a harsh blow to the head, or a serious car accident, brain injuries can be deadly.

Source: Mercury News: "Two East Bay hospitals fined for medical errors," Sandy Kleffman, Sept. 9, 2011