Hospital Patients Cut Off from Oxygen

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Staff at a Danville hospital failed to ensure oxygen was connected for two dependent patients resulting in the death of one of them within hours of the incident, according to a 34-page report from the state Health Department.
The two oxygen incidents occurred at the 554-bed Geisinger Medical Center when the patients were transferred to the X-Ray department for MRIs.(Magnetic Resonance Imaging).
The first patient, identified only as MR1, was brought for the MRI at 7:45 a.m. on May 21. At that time the physician ordered oxygen was properly connected.
An employee told the state surveyors that staff "didn't feel that the patient was unstable at that time."
At 10:07 a.m. that patient was in cardiac arrest. The patient was revived at 10:22 a.m. but expired at 3:15 p.m.
"It is unknown the exact circumstances of when/howthe oxygen became removed," the report states.
The report cites "the seriousness of the noncompliance and the effect on patient outcome" as reasons for the state citation.` The second patient also had physician ordered oxygen but after, or during transfer to the X-Ray department the nasal cannula became disconnected.
The report states that there was miscommunication between the two nurses handling the patient who was scheduled to be discharged to a mursing home. According to the report the staff also failed to follow hospital policy and check on the status of the patients at 30 minute intervals."
In a plan of correction filed by the hospital, officials said staff would be retrained on the need for patient assessment every 30 minutes and on the process for transferring patients from one department to another.
Officials of Geisinger did not respond to rquestions or requests for comment.
The hospital also was cited for failure to comply with advance directive requirements.
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