Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

For all those people that have said .....

by xerpor Jul 24, 2004 3:14AM PDT

"A person could die in this place and no one would know it!"


Man Found Dead on Hospital Lounge Couch

A man was found dead on a couch in a hospital lounge, and a nurse told police that nobody had checked on him for at least 17 hours because he appeared to be asleep.

Robert F. Johnson, 55, who had emphysema, was found Thursday at Southwest General Health Center, police said. It was not clear when he died; an autopsy was planned.

Police Chief John Maddox said Johnson probably had been dead for several hours and most likely died of natural causes.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/9235290.htm?1c

Discussion is locked

6 Posts
- Collapse + Expand Details
- Collapse -
Natural causes meaning
by TONI H Jul 24, 2004 3:26AM PDT

neglect by hospital personnel perhaps?????

TONI

- Collapse -
(NT) I would have guessed emphysema attack.
by xerpor Jul 24, 2004 3:39AM PDT

Would that be considered natual? I feel sorry for the poor old guy. Sad

I bet the last thing on his mind was "I'll show HER!"

Happy

- Collapse -
(NT) (NT) Hummm, above not an NT post......
by xerpor Jul 24, 2004 3:40AM PDT
- Collapse -
Re: (NT) I would have guessed emphysema attack.
by TONI H Jul 24, 2004 3:50AM PDT

And that's exactly what the autopsy results will probably say but that's not going to say that possibly the hospital staff could have 'saved his life by giving him oxygen and neglected to even check on him'. If somebody comes to the hospital emergency room, checks in and tells the admin clerk why he's there....SOMEBODY IN TRIAGE should be seeing him to evaluate the emergency. You don't just get the name and leave that person sitting there for that many hours, even if you THINK he's asleep, for crying out loud. SOMEBODY got that initial paperwork and neglected to do anything about it.

I'd be suing the pants off that place.

There was a case just last week (can't remember the location, but believe it was in New Jersey) on the tv news about a guy who was shot in the heart, taken by ambulance to a hospital. The family was told that this particular hospital didn't do cardio surgery, and instead of airlifting him out immediately to another hospital that DOES do cardio surgery, the guy was left to bleed to death in their emergency room.

What a crock that hospitals get off the hook so easily while doctors individually get sued.

TONI

- Collapse -
Re: I would have guessed emphysema attack.
by Rolway Jul 24, 2004 4:13AM PDT

Thats right Toni. Somebody in that Hospital is in neglect. First of all if you ever saw someone having an emphysema attack, theres no way you can ignore it. I have severe emphysema and have had many attacks. So far have survived. The gagging, choking, coughing and gasping for air is not something they can miss in a hospital lounge or emergency room or anywhere within earshot for that matter.

My guess is he died from something else. Maybe from the results of the attack, but certainly someone should have noticed him in distress.

George

- Collapse -
Toni, from what I understand reading the article...
by xerpor Jul 24, 2004 8:33AM PDT

he didn't "check in with the admin clerk", he just walked in and sat down on the couch. Apparently he had a fight with his wife and went to the hospital's waiting room to spend the night.

Still hard to believe that no one noticed that the man didn't move for 17 hours.

Back to Speakeasy forum

CNET Forums

Operating Systems
Software
Electronics & Gadgets
Hardware
Tablets & Mobile Devices
General Help
Brand Forums
Roadshow Autos
Off Topic

Other Forums

Forum Info