Health · Healthcare & Policy · 5 hrs ago
Family says surgery delay left elderly patient unable to move her legs
A 74-year-old woman was taken to a São Paulo state hospital after a fall on Sept.
26 that injured her head and spinal cord.
Her daughter says the operation was delayed twice because equipment was not sterilized, and the family says staff also cited an essential device being in use.
The hospital's administrator, Iamspe, said surgery scheduling follows the severity of patients arriving at the emergency department, but did not answer questions about the delays.
The woman had spinal surgery on Oct.
2, and Iamspe said she had stable, non-progressive weakness in all four limbs before the procedure.
She still could not move her legs when discharged on Oct.
7, and her family fears she may not regain movement.
It is not clear whether the loss of movement resulted from the injury or the delay.
A family says a 74-year-old woman’s surgery at São Paulo State Public Servant Hospital was delayed twice because equipment was not sterilized, leaving them worried she may not regain movement in her legs.
The woman fell on September 26 and sustained a head injury and spinal cord injury, according to the report.
Her daughter says a doctor advised that surgery was needed within 72 hours to prevent mobility damage.
The hospital’s administrator said the operation was performed on October 2 to relieve pressure on the spinal cord after the patient was diagnosed with stable, non-progressive tetraparesis.
The woman left hospital on October 7 without recovering movement in her legs, and it is not clear whether this resulted from the injury or the delay.
- Who
- A 74-year-old woman and her family; the family’s account was given by her daughter, who did not identify herself.
- What
- Her surgery for a spinal cord injury was delayed, and she did not regain movement in her legs before leaving hospital.
- When
- She fell on September 26, and the surgery was performed on October 2.
- Where
- São Paulo State Public Servant Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.
- Why
- Her daughter says surgery was postponed because equipment needed for the procedure was not sterilized and an essential device was in use. The hospital administrator said its surgical schedule follows the severity of patients arriving at the emergency department.
The patient’s family
Iamspe, the hospital administrator
Reason for the delay
The patient’s family
The daughter says the operation was postponed because necessary equipment was not sterilized and an essential device was in use.
Iamspe, the hospital administrator
Iamspe said the surgical schedule follows the severity of patients received in the emergency department; it did not answer questions about the deadline cited by the family or sterilization problems.
Urgency and outcome
The patient’s family
The daughter says a doctor told the family surgery was needed within 72 hours to prevent mobility damage, and relatives fear the delay affected the patient’s movement.
Iamspe, the hospital administrator
Iamspe said the operation was performed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord after the patient was found to have stable, non-progressive tetraparesis; it did not say whether the delay affected her outcome.
The woman fell, sustained head and spinal cord injuries, and was taken to the hospital, according to her daughter.
The surgery was scheduled but canceled, which the daughter attributed to necessary pins and screws not being sterilized.
The procedure was rescheduled and postponed again, according to the daughter.
The woman underwent surgery to relieve pressure on her spinal cord, according to Iamspe.
The woman left hospital without regaining movement in her legs, according to her daughter.
- Patient
- 74-year-old woman
- Hospital
- São Paulo State Public Servant Hospital, São Paulo
- Fall
- September 26
- Surgery
- October 2
- Discharged
- October 7
- Hospital administrator
- Iamspe
What people are saying
A cirurgia de trauma raquimedular foi realizada no dia 2 de outubro para descompressão da medula após ela ser diagnosticada com quadro não progressivo e estável de tetraparesia (grau 4) com leve dificuldade para se movimentar devido a trauma vertebral
Sources
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