Catheter breaks during angiogram procedure on woman in Kerala

In a shocking incident, a catheter broke while a woman was undergoing an angiogram procedure at a private hospital at Alappuzha district in Kerala, and the woman later died.

While the relatives of the deceased lodged a police petition alleging of medical negligence, a panel of doctors was learned to have maintained that the cause of death was a heart attack. A police probe was on into the incident.

Medical experts cite that it was in rarest of a rare case that medical equipment broke while undergoing procedures and the low quality of the equipment could be the reason

Police sources said that Bindu, 55, of Kayamkulam in Alappuzha died on June 30. Her relatives alleged that she had undergone an angiogram at a private hospital at Mavelikara in the district on June 4. A portion of the catheter broke and got stuck in an artery. She was rushed to another private hospital and open surgery performed. Bindu was discharged after one week.

On June 30 she suffered discomfort and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead. Based on a complaint of her relatives the Kareelakulangara police in Alappuzha registered a case of unnatural death.

Kareelakulangara inspector S L Anilkumar told DH that a panel of doctors comprising the police surgeon gave a report that even as the woman suffered an injury on the heart it got healed. The cause of death was a fresh heart attack.

Meanwhile, a doctor, who preferred not to be quoted, said that the catheter breaking incident cold have to enhance the stress level of the woman. That could be the reason for the fresh attack.

Meanwhile, IMA Kerala chapter spokesperson Dr. N Sulphi said that it was a "very very very rare" case that catheter broke while performing angiogram. He said that the quality of the medical equipment being used needs to be looked into.

Santhakumar, a relative of Bindu, said that a complaint was given to the police soon after the incident on June 4. Doctors who performed the open-heart surgery also said that she was not having any blocks in the heart.