A 90-year-old lady from Drummondville died tragically after choking on her meal in hospital last October.r.
Alice Auger was hospitalized at the Sainte-Croix hospital in Drummondville on October 19 when she died of suffocation following an obstruction of her airways during dinner.
According to coroner Yvon Garneau’s report, the woman had lost her dentures a few hours before the event.
His meal consisted of sweet meatballs and a chocolate banana cake.
“The fact that the prostheses were misplaced was undeniably known to the entire department,” the coroner wrote. A call had also been made to the food service to request a special diet, but I noticed that it was more of a request left in a voicemail box which was never returned.
Heimlich maneuvers (abdominal compressions) were performed to unobstruct the airways.
Hospital staff noted the return of food caught in the throat, but without success.
-The coroner also raises doubts about the quality of the report relating the incident, which nowhere mentions the fact that Alice Auger was missing teeth, a major contributing factor to the patient’s suffocation.
According to family and staff, Ms. Auger had a habit of eating very quickly, but did not have difficulty swallowing or experienced a swallowing disorder.
Accidental death
The coroner therefore concluded that it was an accidental death.
Since the events, corrective measures have been implemented, including having clearer information at patients’ bedsides and displaying special diets.
The establishment also ensures better transmission of information during shift changes.
In light of these measures, the coroner recommends reviewing the quality of the care provided and ensuring that incident reports are properly completed to better identify risky situations.
Canada
