Man dies at Kuopio medical centre – anaesthetist suspected
A middle-aged patient died following complications from an MRI scan performed under anaesthesia at a Pihlajalinnan facility in Kuopio in January 2024. Police have completed their preliminary investigation.
Man dies at Kuopio medical centre – anaesthetist suspected
A middle-aged man died in January 2024 after being anaesthetised for an MRI scan at a private medical centre in Kuopio. Police have concluded their preliminary investigation and suspect an anaesthetist who was responsible for sedating the patient.
The man had come to the clinic for treatment of a painful shoulder. Because he suffered from claustrophobia, it was decided that he would be anaesthetised during the time he spent inside the scanner. After the scan ended, he was found unconscious. Although resuscitation was initially successful, the man was declared brain dead a few days later and was taken off life support.
The family filed a complaint about the incident, which prompted an investigation by the authorities. The victim's brother told the media that his brother had been sedated without adequate supervision.
The Safety Investigation Authority Otkes investigated the chain of events in its own process. According to its findings, the patient was given insufficient oxygen, and his vital functions were not monitored with the necessary equipment during the procedure. Additionally, it was determined that anaesthetised imaging did not fall within the permitted services of that unit.
The facility's management has confirmed that the anaesthetist in question no longer works for the company. Guidelines have been changed so that similar anaesthetised procedures are no longer performed.
Source: Iltalehti
Source: Iltalehti