Interesting story. We require the staff to have clear view of the patient's room so that access can be monitored to prevent unauthorized people from entering the treatment room. Since the hospital had instructed the patient on precautions, the facility cannot be held at fault in this case. (I am assuming the hospital knew she left. If not, then they could be cited, at least in the US, for not having adequate access control as I mentioned above.) While our patients have been concerned about being in isolation, all have complied.
By the way, in the US, the revision to the NRC regulations state that the licensee does not have to report a medical event if the event involves patient intervention. See.
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part035/part035-3045.html This precludes reporting when the patient deliberately or accidently stops a treatment, e.g., due to the removal of a brachytherapy source. Of course, the NRC can always ask "could have done something to prevent the source for dislodging?" If the patient deliberately stops a treatment that is surely a medical issue.
Richard Smart <R.Smart@unsw.edu.au> wrote:
There was a case in Sydney a few years ago when a young female patient being treated with I-131 for thyroid cancer decided that she couldn't bear to be away from her new husband and went home, spent the night with him and then came back to the hospital the following morning.
Yes, both she and her husband had been counselled about the need to sleep separately, but as has been stated here before, you can not legally detain patients such as these in hospital against their will.
Richard Smart
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 2:39 PM
Subject: Re: NRC PROPOSES $6,000 FINE AGAINST ST. JOSEPH MERCY HOSPITAL IN MICHIGAN ...
In a message dated 5/20/2003 10:23:51 AM Pacific Standard Time, crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM writes:
I can honestly say I have not heard of a situation where the patient has left during a treatment.
I have. It can and does happen.
Barbara