PATIENT: SGH CONDUCTED UNETHICAL RESEARCH ON ME WITHOUT MY CONSENT

<Reader Contribution>

This is a complaint against the unethical conduct of making an unsuspected patient, myself, a participant of a research study. The study is titiled “A comparison betweeb Bonfils intubation fibrescope and C-Mac® video laryngoscope for tracheal intubation in patients with a simulated difficult airway”.

This complaint is filed against Dr Txxxxxxxxx Wxxx, senior consultant at the Department of Anaesthesia and Surgical Intensive Care, SGH.

Below is a chronology of events:

I was in SGH on 19th Jan to undergo a Stapedotomy operation on the LEFT ear. I was at the Same Day Surgery Center from about 10.30am to 2.30pm to undergo the pre operation testing. While I was there, I met a doctor to endorse on a consent form for the operation and met another doctor (not Dr. Txxx Wxxx) from anaesthesia dept and endorsed on the consent form for general anaethesia. These were the only two forms that have been told and explained to me where I have duly endorsed.

Subsequently I was being ushered to the operating theatre. While in the preparatory room, a doctor came in and mentioned that he will be inserting a scope with the breathing tube into my mouth during the operation. He mentioned there will not be any danger but may cause some discomfort. He then showed me a document and asked me to sign on it. I knew putting the breathing tube is a normal procedure as I will be under general anaesthesia. Not suspecting anything and assuming that it was an endorsement for the breathing tube, I therefore signed on the document.
When I woke up in the evening after the operation, I felt very nausea and my stomach was churning. I vomited about 5-6 times. During the 4th time I threw up there was even blood in the stomach fluid. The nausea continued until Jan 20th. It seems quite alright before I was discharged at around 11:30am but I felt giddy again when I reached home and lasted throughout that day. I have had a Stapedectomy done on my right ear at TTSH about 1.5 years ago and it didn’t cause me such bad nausea nor a prolonged giddiness.

During the discharge, the nurse gave me a few documents that included the MC, the next appointment letter and two others. These were (1) CONSENT BY RESEARCH SUBJECT (CBRS), and (2) PARTICIPATING INFORMATION SHEET (PIS). I was shocked and taken aback upon seeing these two documents. I have never seen the PIS at any point in time throughout and that was the 1st time I have been given to see it. I was not aware that I have been advised, consulted or have been clearly explained to that I have been invited to participate in a Study! It then occurred to me that it must have been sneaked in at the preparation room before I entered the operating theatre while I was in a sub conscious state. This was the only other document (3rd) that I have signed.

This is most unethical! Such practice should not have happened in a famous and most trusted institution such as SGH. I find this most unacceptable and I suspect many other patients might have been subjected to the same and not realizing it. The bad nausea and prolonged giddiness might have been caused by the unnecessary extra dose of anaesthesia since they will be taking time probing in and out of my mouth and into my stomach.

I would like to seek an explanation from SGH what is it going to do about such unethical conduct?

Norman N
A.S.S Reader