St. Luke's Cited in Monitoring Failure

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A patient at an Allentown hospital was found unresponsive in an apparent failure of a continuous monitor, according to a report from the state Health Department.
According to the report staffers at St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus failed to inform the patient's physician that the patient was removing the continuous pulse oximetry monitor. Subsequently the patient was found on April 11 unresponsive "with no pulse or respiration."
The hospital employee "did not document a change in the patient's condition that affected the ordered the continuous pulse oximetry," the report states, adding that the patient's doctor was "not notified of a change in the patient's non-compliance and treatment."
The staff "lacked the ability to troubleshoot the continuous pulse oximetry issues such as maintaining the probe when the patient in disoriented and attempting to remove the device."
The hospital filed a plan of correction calling for staff education on reporting requirements.
The staff "lacked the ability to troubleshoot the continuous pulse oximetry issues such as maintaining the probe when the patient in disoriented and attempting to remove the device," the plan of correction states.
The report concluded that nursing staff never informed the physician that the patient was frequently removing the pulse oximetry probe.
St. Luke's officials did not respond to questions regarding the report.
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