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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) made the following announcement today (August 26) regarding a sentinel event:
A 64-year-old male patient with a lung nodule had a CT-guided lung biopsy at PYNEH on May 28 for diagnosis and treatment planning. The biopsy investigation result indicated malignancy of the lung nodule and the patient was referred to the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery of Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) for treatment. The patient received a lobectomy of the right lower lobe on August 11 and was discharged uneventfully from QMH on August 23.
After the operation, the Department of Pathology and Clinical Biochemistry of QMH conducted pathological investigation of the patient's excised lung tissue and the confirmed clinical diagnosis was pulmonary tuberculosis instead of lung cancer. The Department of Clinical Pathology of PYNEH was informed of the diagnosis and DNA fingerprinting studies were performed. The specimen taken on May 28 was found to contain tissue of another patient with confirmed lung cancer. The discrepancy in diagnoses had resulted in the patient receiving an unnecessary operation to remove part of the lung. No similar occurrence was found in the specimen of the patient with confirmed lung cancer and the treatment plan had not been affected.
The hospital is highly concerned about the incident and has reported it to the Hospital Authority Head Office (HAHO) through the Advance Incident Reporting System. After preliminary investigation, no deviation from standard procedures was identified at this stage. A review of other patients' specimens from the same batch was conducted by the hospital and no similar occurrence was noted. Staff members have been reminded to strictly follow the standard operating procedures in collecting, delivering and handling patients' specimens after the incident.
An investigation panel will be set up to investigate the root cause of the incident and recommend improvement measures. The investigation report will be submitted to the HAHO in eight weeks. The hospital has also arranged a meeting with the patient and family members today to explain the incident in detail, and expressed the most sincere apologies to the patient and his family. The hospital will continue to follow up closely on the patient's clinical condition.
Ends/Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Issued at HKT 19:26
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