Man dies of ruptured aorta after waiting at Hospital ER for 2 hours

A 65-year-old man died after waiting in a hospital emergency room for approximately two hours in the Thai city of Mukdahan, despite being in severe abdominal pain. The man's family claims he never received the promised pain injection or a CT scan during that time. Mukdahan Hospital staff stated that they had to prioritize two "red-level" patients (the most critical) arriving at the same time, leading to a reassessment gap of about one hour, which is one hour longer than the hospital's 30-minute internal standard.

The man, identified only as Cham, initially sought medical attention at the emergency department around 7pm on August 12. A nurse asked him about an abnormal hard lump in his abdomen, and a doctor conducted a preliminary ultrasound. The doctor then informed Cham and his family that he would receive a painkilling injection and could go home. However, the family alleges that he waited about two hours after this conversation, during which his pain persisted.

His condition worsened around 10pm, leading his daughter, Thanyarat, to request an update on the wait time. She expressed concern that he might be entering shock. At that point, Cham experienced muscle rigidity, vomiting, pale skin, and heavy sweating. Later, he lost consciousness. His blood pressure was recorded at approximately 200 mmHg, prompting medical staff to move him to the resuscitation room and perform an urgent CT scan.

The CT scan revealed an aneurysm and dissection of the man's abdominal aorta, necessitating immediate surgery. Despite signing consent for treatment, the family says that the vascular specialist was never contacted. Tragically, Cham's pulse weakened, his heart stopped, and resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. The family plans not to file any legal action.