A 9 yr. old girl died after a tonsillectomy; the hospital had sent her home even though

[pnwmom]

she never regained consciousness after surgery.

They sent her home anyway! Unbelievable.

(And they had put her under anesthesia TWICE, for reasons unclear to the family.)

What a nightmare. My heart goes out to this family.

ON EDIT: P.S. She was black, which shouldn't be relevant, but you gotta wonder if her life was a little less valuable to the staff there . . . Also, if her insurance status was a factor.


http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national/mother-desperate-for-answers-after-daughter-dies-following-tonsil-surgery-at-childrens-hospital

DETROIT (WXYZ) - A Michigan mother is grieving the loss of her 9-year-old daughter who died just hours after what was supposed to be routine surgery — and she's not getting answers from doctors.

Sonia Gambrell's daughter Anyislah was supposed to undergo a 40-minute outpatient procedure at Children's Hospital in Troy, Michigan to remove the girl's tonsils and adenoids.

Gambrell says Anyislah came out of surgery once, but was taken back in and put back under anesthesia. Though she never fully regained consciousness, doctors sent Anyislah home. They assured Gambrell that her daughter would regain consciousness within 15 minutes.

But Anyislah never fully regained consciousness. Later, Gambrell took her daughter to nearby St. John Hospital, where she later died.

[HassleCat]

1. I'm not a doctor

But this seems very odd to me. I would suspect a coverup.

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. I am pretty sure a good lawyer will uncover the issue.

Best to subpoena the records before something happens to them....

[TheBlackAdder]

30. If she was going to regain consciousness in 15 minutes, she could have waited in recovery longer.

.


Still, consciousness is not the factor to release someone, they have to regain functional faculties and not exhibit any negative symptoms.


.

[metroins]

2. Something is definitely up with this

No idea what it is but it's fishy.

[DesertFlower]

3. my son was 12 when he had his tonsils removed. the

hospital kept him over night. that was back in '74. there were no complications -- it was standard procedure.

[FarCenter]

5. What you can expect

Tonsillectomy is usually done as an outpatient procedure. That means you'll be able to go home the day of the surgery. An overnight stay is possible if complications arise or if the surgery is done on a young child, or if you have a complex medical condition.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/tonsillectomy/basics/what-you-can-expect/prc-20019889

[Igel]

7. Our kid had that kind of surgery.

Adnoidectomy, close enough.

He was perhaps 5. Took him to the doctor's in the morning, brought him home that afternoon. But he woke up.

[DesertFlower]

29. things have really changed.

[Best_man23]

4. Not a Doctor

But she could have had a reaction to the anesthesia. Either that or the anesthesiologist screwed up.

The hospital/surgical facility is supposed to keep you until you've regained consciousness, they don't send unconscious patients home.

[pnwmom]

6. Our daughter had her tonsils out in the morning, and we watched other kids

go home all afternoon, as we waited for the doctor to finally decide our daughter was ready. We were the last people out of the day-unit that day. They even considered keeping her overnight, but decided she didn't need to.

I'm feeling grateful the doctors and hospital gave good care to our daughter -- and my heart breaks for this family.

[ck4829]

9. "Not a doctor", and someone(s) involved with her 'care' shouldn't be either

[Hoyt]

8. Not good. It's one thing if a kid is alert, etc., but how do you let an unconscious kid go? Assume

facts are correct.

[Ilsa]

10. Every time I've had outpatient surgery,

I was made to get up to ambulate to the bathroom and pee.

"Patient is awake, oriented to circumstances, able to void," was probably in the nurses'notes every time.

I cannot imagine how they could send her home before gaining consciousness. I don't care what her insurance status was -- they took her as a patient! You can't stop a procedure halfway through and say, "Oh, that piece of sterile gauze threw her over her annual maximum! Close her up!"

[Horse with no Name]

11. this story doesn't sound right

folks take this simple procedure as nothing to worry about but.
I've seen other kids die from it---first hand.
Anytime you are messing with the airway, that can happen.
As far as taking her to surgery--there would have had to be a consent signed. Period.
I have a hard time believing they sent her home before she was awake.
Now--that doesn't mean that a kid wouldn't have still been drowsy from the anesthesia....but that isn't the same thing.
None of this sounds right and I just have a hard time believing an entire hospital staff broke the standard protocols surrounding surgeries and time outs and consents, etc.
That being said.
It is very sad that the child died.

[pnwmom]

12. My daughter had the surgery around 7, and they didn't release her

till after 5 pm. We watched everyone else in the day unit go home except us, but they wanted to make sure our daughters vitals were all good -- and that took a while.

Our hospital and doctors were being careful, unlike this girl's.

I agree that this story is hard to believe -- but that doesn't mean it's untrue. That's what keeps medical malpractice lawyers in business.

[uppityperson]

13. Here's another article with a bit more information, won't know 'til autopsy is done

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2017/01/05/holiday-heartbreak-girl-dies-tonsil-surgery/96228636/

[pnwmom]

20. That's a good article, thanks. Did you notice this part:

Anyialah was in third grade at Timbuktu Academy, an east side charter school. The day before the surgery, Anyialah was coughing so hard she had to leave the classroom, remembered the school’s principal, Cha-Rhonda Edgerson.

That suggests a number of things . . .

I also think it's bad that 3 different pharmacies refused to fill a perfectly legal pain prescription after a surgery. The hospital should have its own pharmacy so patients aren't put in the position of having to beg pharmacies for drugs after surgery.

[dixiegrrrrl]

21. I was wondering if race would be an issue in this...n/t

[Horse with no Name]

26. Most hospitals aren't licensed as retail pharmacies

Which means they can't fill scripts.
A lot of pharmacies are not filling narc scripts these days.
Our local pharmacies don't carry narcs.
It's ridiculous but so many docs aren't prescribing them anymore they don't see a need.

[pnwmom]

36. When a hospital prescribes this for a surgery patient they should direct them

to a pharmacy that will fill it.

There are negative health consequences, including elevated blood pressure, from NOT controlling post-surgery pain.

Years ago I used a hospital that had a pharmacy on site. They only sold medication to their own patients as they discharged them. I doubt that this would count as "retail."

ON EDIT:

The hospital still has what they call a "specialty pharmacy." It isn't open to the general public. But if the Detroit hospital had a pharmacy like this, it could have provided the woman with the prescription for her daughter, so she wouldn't have been turned down by 3 pharmacies while her daughter was in the backseat, on the brink of death.

[Horse with no Name]

37. Actually it is

A retail pharmacy is any pharmacy that sells prescriptions.
This includes hospital based pharmacies.
You have to have a license to do that.

[pnwmom]

39. Then every hospital should get a license and have one

or be able to direct their patients to a nearby pharmacy that WILL fill hospital pain prescriptions.

[Tanuki]

38. "Snow began to fall harder. Roads were bad." I'd hate to think that the staff rushed her out

prematurely so they (the staff) could get home before the storm. It seems inconceivable to discharge a child who was having complications and had not regained consciousness.

[napi21]

15. I just checked to make sure it was std. to do surgery like that as an outpatient, and it is.

The only exceptions given were in the event of complications or if done on a small child. I suspect they don't consider 9 years a small child. There DOES however appear to be complications. Why else the double anesthesia? I think the Mom should find an attorney who is experienced in medical cases. The Attorney WIL get questions answered!

[Lithos]

17. Yes, it is out-patient

My youngest daughter had it done that way this past Christmas Break....

L-

[Lithos]

16. The article lacks information...

(Note: I am not a Doctor - please keep that in mind).

My youngest daughter recently (Christmas break) had both tonsils and adenoids removed. The general procedure is very straightforward.

Out patient surgery - you go in, take a brief anesthesia - and a short period of time 10-20 minutes, the tonsils and adenoids are gone. Then a short 45-75 minute period while anesthesia wears off, then home with a script for antibiotics and pain medicine. The main concern post-op is bleeding (immediately afterwards and again 7 days later when the scabs fall off). This scenario was exactly what was explained to me pre surgery, and again in the waiting room before we went back to visit her, and again on the recovery notes.

So, what happens sounds very atypical. I do find it very unnatural to release a patient still under the active effects of anesthesia (unconscious), so am curious to what/why this occurred.

I am sorry to the family.

L-

[pnwmom]

19. Not everyone can leave as quickly as your child, even when everything

goes okay.'

My child had to stay for 9 hours before they were satisfied she was in good enough shape to go home. Meanwhile we watched everyone else in the day unit leave.

It seems pretty clear this little girl was rushed out prematurely.

[AngryAmish]

18. This is something I know a lot about.

But there is very little in the articles to make any sort of decision.

One thing everyone should know is some folks just have reactive airways. Any little tickle makes the whole thing swell up, cutting off air. This is know and any anesthesiologist should know this. But sending home unconscious? I have never hear of a thing. After I got 14 foot of hose up my asshole looking for polyps I was Goofy (demerol) but awake.

[Ms. Toad]

23. Clearly something went tragically wrong,

But I have a hard time believing any hospital would send a patient who, "never fully regained consciousness" home. That isn't to say the hospital is blameless (or to blame) - just that i am very skeptical about that aspect of the story.

Lots of people misinterpret medical information. My guess is she passed the standard tests typically done to ensure she was safe to go home, but was extremely groggy (as is also pretty standard), and the mother interpreted being groggy as not having fully regained consciousness.

[Midwestern Democrat]

24. I've been under anesthesia once (to get my wisdom teeth removed) and I don't have any

memory of what happened between five seconds after they gave me the shot and waking up in my own bed over two hours later - I just sat in the dental chair wondering when the shot would start having an effect and the next thing I knew was waking up in my own bed at home - I was able to walk to the car and into my bed with guidance, but had zero recollection of it. I suspect the girl in this case was probably in the same state I was - if she were truly unconscious, she would have had to have been carried out of the hospital.

[Ms. Toad]

28. It is personal experience I based my comment on

My daughter goes under annually, for cancer screening (for the last 8 years, and has had three additional outpatient surgeries). I've had 5 outpatient surgeries, and 3 inpatient surgeries (if I'm counting correctly). My spouse has has 6 (5 outpatient & 1 inpatient). Those include at least 9 different facilities (perhaps more).

In each of those 22 times under anesthesia or heavy sedation we were evaluated before being released - including one time when my spouse shut down the recovery room hours after everyone left because she was slow to awaken. They would never have allowed us to leave the surgical center without having awakened enough to stand, stablize, and sit in a weelchair - or walk to the exit - of the building, and to answer questions about day, where we were, and why we were there.

[pnwmom]

40. This seems like an oddly specific thing for them to say --

and also odd for the mother to have made up.

They assured Gambrell that her daughter would regain consciousness within 15 minutes.

[pnwmom]

31. She wasn't fully conscious. And they would have wheeled her out in a

wheelchair, which is standard for all patients who have had surgery in hospitals (other than small children who are carried out). From the wheelchair, it would have been easy enough to load a not-fully-concious 9 year old into a car.

They had no business releasing her in that state.

[baldguy]

25. Let me guess: limited health insurance, coupled w/ a private hospital trying to save money.

[Snackshack]

27. Wow.

How sad.

She should have never been discharged and sent home. How that happened is unimaginable. As a First Responder you never ever leave a patient unattended that is not conscious. Even if the unconscious state was purposefully induced. She should have remained in recovery at the hospital until she was awake and alert again. Someone has some serious explaining to do as to why they discharged this girl.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

32. Unbelievable!

When I had hernia operations (twice), the hospitals made sure each time that I was conscious before release.

I had trouble regaining consciousness both times, especially the second time. The nurse later said I worried her. Her loud voice finally broke through to me, which annoyed me while I was in a state of complete bliss that I didn't want to leave.

They couldn't wait the supposed 15 minutes before releasing her?!

[pnwmom]

33. When my daughter had her tonsils out they waited all day

for her to be in good enough shape to satisfy them. Meanwhile, we watched all the other day surgery patients go home.

Sometime after 5 they finally let us leave. We were lucky.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

34. I'm glad they acted responsibly with your daughter!

That's surely normal procedure at most places.

[pnwmom]

35. That's why my heart breaks for this mother. I still remember

how it felt having to hand my little girl over to the doctors for her surgery. Even though I knew it was "just" to remove her tonsils and adenoids, it was scary.

The night before this mother was feeling scared and thinking about canceling the procedure. Her boyfriend convinced her to trust the doctors. The "what ifs" must be torturing them now.