Investigation and inquest
ROBERT ENTENMAN, who was born on 1 March 1958, died on 30 May 2015 at London Bridge Hospital. An investigation into his death was opened, and an inquest held from 17-21 October 2016.
The medical cause of Mr Entenman’s death was recorded as follows:
I(a) Hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy
I(b) Blocked endotracheal tube
I(c) Mitral valve disease that had been operated upon on 15 May 2015
2. Obesity and fatty liver disease
I returned a narrative conclusion as follows:
“Mr Entenman was an intubated patient on the intensive care unit at London Bridge Hospital. At around 12.00pm on 22 May, the humidifier in his room was turned off. It remained off until 6.00am on 23 May 2015. This equipment reduced the risk of mucus secretions in his airway becoming sticky and thick. A mucus plug did develop and blocked his endotracheal tube. He went into cardiac arrest shortly after 6.00am on 23 May 2015. He was reintubated and return of spontaneous circulation was established, but he died on 30 May 2015, as a result of the denial of oxygen to his brain. The failure to provide him with the treatment of the humidifier amounted to neglect. Delays in identifying that the tube had become blocked between 5.32 and 6.00am on 23 May 2015 also played a causative role in his death”.
There followed a period of time during which the Interested Persons were permitted to make submissions and provide evidence on Regulation 28 issues.
Circumstances of the death
The circumstances of the death are as set out in the narrative conclusion above.
Coroner’s concerns
(1) Three nurses cared for Mr Entenman between 12.00pm on 22 May 2015 and 6.00am on 23 May 2015. During that time they did not observe that the humidifier had been turned off, either handovers that took place between them or each hour when they should have recorded the temperature reading from the humidifier.
(2) The humidifier machine does not have an alarm on it, to indicate when the machine has been turned off.
(3) There were delays in identifying that the endotracheal tube had become blocked between 5.32 and 6.00am on 23 May 2015, and thus replacing it earlier. There may have been further such delays after 6.00 am. There may have been a delay by the nursing staff in providing information about difficulties with the suction catheter to the doctors who arrived after the cardiac arrest call was put out.