Review on patient safety launched after death of teen

The Fraser Health Authority launched a patient safety review following the death of a boy who was discharged from the emergency department at Delta Hospital a day before he died.

Kyle Losse, 14, died in hospital Tuesday, two days after he fell while vaping nicotine. His family is questioning why he was released from Delta Hospital Monday morning.

“I want Delta Hospital to acknowledge that this shouldn’t have happened,” stepmom Niki Losse said. “I feel like they chalked it up to a stupid kid using an e-vape and didn’t fully look at everything that happened.”

At 9:45 p.m. on Sunday, the family was home when they heard a loud noise from the bathroom. They found Kyle on the floor with a vape pen or e-cigarette beside him.

“He was throwing up, shaking, sweating. He was saying his head hurt,” Losse said.

It was unclear if Kyle hit his head, something Losse said she told staff at Delta Hospital. Staff checked Kyle’s vital signs and did a blood test. It came back negative for anything other than nicotine. He was given fluids and potassium.

“He was drifting in and out of consciousness and his heart rate would drop, so we had to keep him awake,” Losse said. “I don’t think they did a concussion test. The doctor kept talking about nicotine.”

After about eight hours, his heart rate levelled and his blood pressure came back up. At about 6 a.m., another doctor came in and said they were releasing Kyle. He was told to stay home for two days and go for a followup blood test to ensure there was no permanent damage to his liver or kidneys.

Kyle was still saying his head hurt, Losse said. The doctor recommended Tylenol.

His stepmom continued to check on him, at one point calling Delta Hospital for clarification when Kyle continued to say his head hurt.

“The clerk said the doctor had gone home. She didn’t have the chart in front of her, and it was up to me if I wanted to come back.”

Losse then noticed a rash on Kyle’s neck, chest and legs. She called 911. Kyle was rushed to B.C. Children’s Hospital by ambulance. A doctor ordered a CT scan and an X-ray. The family was told, “Kyle had damage to his entire brain.”

The teen died Tuesday at 2:22 p.m. His exact cause of death is unclear.