Miami Hospital Cited For Deficiencies After Death of Patient
A report from March said no Vitamin K was available in the entire hospital
A Miami hospital was cited for deficiencies after the son of a woman who died at the facility filed a complaint against it. Maria Gonzalez, who was transported to Metropolitan Hospital of Miami for gastrointestinal bleeding, died with 24 hours after being admitted to the hospital. Her son, Antonio Gonzalez-Sanchez, spoke with NBC 6 about his mother’s condition.
A Miami hospital was cited for deficiencies after the son of a woman who died at the facility filed a complaint against it.
Maria Gonzalez, who was taken to Metropolitan Hospital of Miami for gastrointestinal bleeding, died with 24 hours after being admitted to the hospital.
Her son, Antonio Gonzalez-Sanchez, who is also a nurse, described his mother’s condition.
“And since she was taking Coumadin, which is to thin the blood, that caused her to, of course, bleed uncontrollably,” he said.
Hospital records stated “there is no vitamin K available in the entire hospital.” Gonzalez-Sanchez filed a complaint with the Agency for Health Care Administration due to the absence of the vitamin, which causes blood to clot and is used for patients with serious bleeding.
On April 27, AHCA sent a letter to the hospital administrator regarding findings of “Immediate Jeopardy” that stated “the conditions at your facility pose an immediate threat to the health and safety of patients at the following.”
ACHA cited the hospital specifically in the areas of nursing services and quality assessment and improvement. In addition, pharmaceutical services were found to be out of compliance, and there was a deficiency in laboratory services.
Maria Gonzalez’s report states a doctor wrote an order for Vitamin K at 12:50 p.m. Just over two hours later, the director of the emergency department called the pharmacy in search of Vitamin K and was told it was on national back order. At 3:42, the doctor ordered two units of fresh frozen plasma, which is used to stop bleeding, but they were never administered.
“I lost my mom, I lost her companionship, I lost her friendship,” her son said. “We are going to lose more people this way.”
AHCA also found the facility failed to administer blood products as ordered by physicians in five of 10 sampled patients.
Metropolitan Hospital quickly made changes. A follow-up survey on May 16 said “the previously cited deficiencies were found corrected.”
ACHA sent NBC 6 a written statement Tuesday that said the immediate jeopardy issues had been resolved.
"The agency then conducted a revisit survey in May which indicated correction of the immediate jeopardy noncompliance cited during the complaint investigation. This was followed by a full federal survey in June which reflected that the hospital was in compliance with health regulations required for Medicare and Medicaid certification of an acute care hospital," the statement said. "Other pending noncompliance will be monitored by the agency to verify correction."
Metropolitan Hospital of Miami did not return calls from NBC 6.
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