Khon Kaen Hospital Clarifies Nursing Controversy
A 50-year-old woman admitted to Khon Kaen Hospital with fever died from sudden brain bleeding; the hospital clarified that staff members who posted harsh online comments about the patient were not employees.
Khon Kaen Hospital has clarified that the nurse and nursing aide who posted inappropriate comments online are not staff members of Khon Kaen Hospital. The hospital expressed condolences to the family of the deceased patient.
Following online criticism of medical staff at a Khon Kaen hospital after a woman posted that she had been waiting so long for treatment she was dying, a nurse replied with a curse telling the patient to go home and die. The woman later lost consciousness in a bathroom and subsequently died.
Dr. Thanasit Pairapong, director of Khon Kaen Hospital, revealed that a 50-year-old female patient was admitted to the emergency room with fever, chills, body aches, and a rash that had lasted three days. Doctors ordered blood and urine tests and admitted her as an inpatient. While hospitalized, the patient remained conscious but her fever did not subside. Doctors conducted blood cultures to identify bloodstream infection and administered continuous antibiotics along with X-rays.
On August 16 at approximately 4:00 a.m., staff found the patient unconscious in the bathroom. Doctors and nurses immediately provided care and detected abnormal vital signs. They intubated her and performed an emergency CT scan, which revealed brain bleeding with a large subdural hemorrhage causing brain stem compression and deterioration of her condition.
Doctors planned surgical intervention, but the patient had low blood pressure and high surgical mortality risk, making surgery impossible. Doctors informed the family of the cause and provided palliative care in the neurosurgical intensive care unit. The family later requested to take the patient home to die.
Regarding the online controversy about inappropriate comments from nursing staff, the hospital investigated and found that both the nurse and nursing aide involved were not employees of Khon Kaen Hospital.
The hospital expressed its condolences to the deceased's family and stated it continues to review and improve its service systems for the wellbeing of the public.
