Hong Kong health authorities have ordered hospitals to stop using a batch of blood pressure monitoring sets after an improperly sealed device was linked to the death of an elderly man undergoing a heart operation.
The Department of Health also said on Friday that it had ordered the local supplier to halt sales of the affected batch and it was investigating the incident at Tuen Mun Hospital.
The Hospital Authority noted on Thursday the 75-year-old man had a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and high cholesterol.
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He was admitted to hospital on Wednesday last week after his respiratory condition deteriorated.
According to the authority, the patient later suffered an acute heart attack and underwent a percutaneous coronary intervention, also known as balloon angioplasty, on Monday.
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Medical staff first noticed air bubbles through imaging during the operation and immediately checked the blood pressure monitoring device and related equipment, but found no abnormalities.
The operation continued following a clinical assessment, but air bubbles were detected again in the patient’s coronary artery about 30 minutes later.