Woman Left in CT Scanner As Clinic Closes

[White Rain]

TUCSON, Ariz. -- A cancer patient says she was left alone in a CT scanner for hours after a technician apparently forget about her, and she finally crawled out of the device, only to find herself locked in the closed clinic.

Elvira Tellez of Tucson said she called her son in a panic, and he told her to call 911.

Pima County sheriff's deputies arriving at the oncology office had her unlock the office door to let them in, said Deputy Dawn Hanke, a department spokeswoman.

The deputies contacted the office manager, who was not aware of the situation.

Tellez was taken to a hospital as a precaution, then released early the next day.

Tellez said she's had trouble sleeping since last week's incident. more @ link http://www.wsbtv.com/health/14228200/detail.html

 

[englishleigh]

Yikes!! Can you imagine? Poor lady.

 

[sissy's mom]

How awful... what has happened to work ethics????????

 

[White Rain]

How awful... what has happened to work ethics????????

They seem to be gone with the wind...I hate to admit it but I spent 3 days in jail this year, and the staff there acted WORSE than the prisoners....they used (loudly) every F (and cuss) word known, sang songs at the top of their voices at 3 am, and acted just about as unprofessional as could be...ok yeah, alot of people will think "It's a jail, who cares?"
I don't care if it's a jail or not, some level of ethics should be expected...

 

[deanws]

They seem to be gone with the wind...I hate to admit it but I spent 3 days in jail this year, and the staff there acted WORSE than the prisoners....they used (loudly) every F (and cuss) word known, sang songs at the top of their voices at 3 am, and acted just about as unprofessional as could be...ok yeah, alot of people will think "It's a jail, who cares?"
I don't care if it's a jail or not, some level of ethics should be expected...

People should act like humans no matter WHERE they are!
:doh:

 

[philamena]

Both accounts, the CT Scan one and White Rain's are terrible.
Glad you got out ok WR.

 

[JBean]

Poor lady! At least it wasn't an MRI machine.That would have been really awful. At least a CT scanner is completely open like a big doughnut.

 

[capps]

A snippet from the link:
"A physician who works at the practice and knew of the incident told The Arizona Daily Star it's not the first time such a thing has happened.
"People have been left in the office after hours, when something like that happens -- it's the same sort of thing," Dr. Steven Ketchel said. "My guess is she was lying on the table, waiting and waiting and nobody told her she could go home."

This doctor should be ashamed to admit this,and worse yet,to state it so matter of factly:" ...it's the same sort of thing.",also the "...nobody told her she could go home." It's not like she was sitting in a waiting room,and no one told her to go home,she was inside a machine with a metal jacket over her! This physician is trying to down play this situation big time!

 

[Amraann]

I once was in a police station .... and watched as a guy had a heart attack and no one tried to help him.

I was furious!! They said he was not officially booked so therefore they could not do anything..... He died..

 

[capps]

I once was in a police station .... and watched as a guy had a heart attack and no one tried to help him.

I was furious!! They said he was not officially booked so therefore they could not do anything..... He died..

That's absurd! As a caring human beings they should have "unofficially" helped him.

 

[Annie]

Poor lady! At least it wasn't an MRI machine.That would have been really awful. At least a CT scanner is completely open like a big doughnut.

JBean, That bug in your post is driving me crazy. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to squash it.

I think many people are scared of those scans anyway. Now they will be terrified. I think people should always take someone with them when they go for tests if it is possible.

 

[angelmom]

A snippet from the link:
"A physician who works at the practice and knew of the incident told The Arizona Daily Star it's not the first time such a thing has happened.
"People have been left in the office after hours, when something like that happens -- it's the same sort of thing," Dr. Steven Ketchel said. "My guess is she was lying on the table, waiting and waiting and nobody told her she could go home."

This doctor should be ashamed to admit this,and worse yet,to state it so matter of factly:" ...it's the same sort of thing.",also the "...nobody told her she could go home." It's not like she was sitting in a waiting room,and no one told her to go home,she was inside a machine with a metal jacket over her! This physician is trying to down play this situation big time!

This was the part that killed me. I can see an accident, I GUESS, but to admit that it has happened before! And that you locked up without checking the machine???

I mean, if you are working on a patient, isn't there some sort of procedure to follow? Ditto if you are responsible for closing the office???

It's not like she was just laying there and didn't know to get up. She spent hours wriggling to free herself from the machine, according to the article. They left her trapped in there, and didn't hear her calling for help!!!

Idiots. If it had been a daycare center the place would be closed down.

 

[deanws]

I once was in a police station .... and watched as a guy had a heart attack and no one tried to help him.

I was furious!! They said he was not officially booked so therefore they could not do anything..... He died..

OMGosh....that is horrible!

:furious:

 

[deanws]

A snippet from the link:
"A physician who works at the practice and knew of the incident told The Arizona Daily Star it's not the first time such a thing has happened.
"People have been left in the office after hours, when something like that happens -- it's the same sort of thing," Dr. Steven Ketchel said. "My guess is she was lying on the table, waiting and waiting and nobody told her she could go home."

This doctor should be ashamed to admit this,and worse yet,to state it so matter of factly:" ...it's the same sort of thing.",also the "...nobody told her she could go home." It's not like she was sitting in a waiting room,and no one told her to go home,she was inside a machine with a metal jacket over her! This physician is trying to down play this situation big time!

It seems to me he is making the practice open to even MORE lawsuits. So sad they don't care for their dying patients any more than this.

 

[bnhall]

This is terrifying! Maybe one person thought that the other person let her out and told her to leave? It doesn't excuse it; what happened is pure negligence.

 

[Taximom]

She'll probably be billed by insurance for the lengthy stay!

I see this carelessness happening all over the place. Just last week we were left in a back room waiting for someone to take off my daughter's cast. I knew they were busy as we had been there before and had to wait, but this time it was 5:00 and people were packing up to go!

There's just no work ethic anymore. (Geez, I sound like my mom.)

Amra, that guy's family should have sued or something!

 

[tiredblondy]

She'll probably be billed by insurance for the lengthy stay!

Absolutely and who knows what the doctor bill will be :truce:

 

[Marthatex]

It's not really an ethics problem, sounds like an organizational problem and not checking at the end of the day that everyone is accounted for before you close up.

My daughter got left in a doctor's office once, he never came in the room to see her and she sat and sat. Finally she looked out and everyone was gone.

 

[JBean]

JBean, That bug in your post is driving me crazy. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to squash it.

I think many people are scared of those scans anyway. Now they will be terrified. I think people should always take someone with them when they go for tests if it is possible.

Sorry about the bug:innocent:

I just meant at least the CT isn't a claustrophobic type machine. I agree about taking an advocate in most health care situations.

 

[pedinurse]

IF it were my cancer patient mother... I'd be PISSED.
Fire the person who left my mother there, and you'd better make my mother VERY financially comfortable... with a public apology that that will never, EVER happen again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!