Mukdahan man dies after ER wait

Mukdahan Hospital has acknowledged that a 65-year-old emergency patient was only reassessed about two hours after his previous check, despite its guideline requiring checks every 30 minutes.

Cham died hours after arriving at the hospital on August 12 with severe abdominal pain. A delayed CT scan found an aneurysm and dissection of his abdominal aorta, a critical condition requiring immediate treatment.

His wife, Ohn Si, 54, and daughter Thanyarat, 28, have asked the hospital to explain the delay. They stated they do not intend to take legal action, but want the case reviewed to prevent another family suffering a similar loss.

Family says Cham waited in severe pain

Ohn Si took Cham to Mukdahan Hospital's emergency department at about 7pm.

During the initial assessment, Cham told a nurse he could feel an unusually hard lump in his abdomen. A doctor asked about his symptoms, carried out a preliminary ultrasound and said he would receive a painkilling injection before going home.

The family said Cham waited for about two hours, but never received the injection or a CT scan. His pain did not ease.

At about 10pm, Thanyarat approached the emergency counter, saying her father could no longer cope and that she feared he was going into shock. Soon afterwards, he developed muscle rigidity, vomited, became pale and sweated heavily before losing consciousness.

Staff moved him to a resuscitation room, supplied oxygen and checked his vital signs. Relatives said his blood pressure was extremely high.

CT scan came after his collapse

The medical team arranged an urgent CT scan after Cham's condition deteriorated. Doctors told the family they had found a blood-vessel abnormality in his abdomen and that he required surgery immediately.

After the family signed consent forms, staff intubated him and contacted a vascular specialist. His pulse weakened, his heart stopped and resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.

Hospital director offered condolences and said Cham had been classified as a level 2, emergency patient. This is the second-highest urgency category, below level 1 red cases, and both require reassessment every 30 minutes.

At the time, two red-level patients also arrived: one with a severe cobra bite requiring intubation and another in cardiac arrest caused by sepsis. The hospital said these cases required treatment first, but accepted they did not excuse the missed reassessment timeframe.

The deputy director for medical affairs said the hospital would review the case, focusing on continuous monitoring, patient safety and survival chances. He said shortcomings would be used to improve guidelines and prevent a repeat.

Pictures courtesy of Khoasod

Join the discussion?

15 August 2026