IJN doctors advised Adib against browsing Internet on his mobile phone
SHAH ALAM: Firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim was advised not to browse the Internet on his mobile phone as he might encounter reports on events, which had led to his hospitalisation.
National Heart Institute (IJN) intensive care unit director Datuk Dr Suneta Sulaiman, speaking at the inquest into Adib’s death at the coroner’s court here yesterday, said the medical staff had agreed to grant Adib’s request to use his phone with conditions.
She said Adib was only able to communicate via sign language and by writing on a whiteboard. She said he wrote “Nak phone” and gestured with his hand.
“I asked him ‘Adib nak phone?’ (Adib, you want your phone?) and he nodded.
“I discussed with my team and we agreed to give him his phone but with conditions,” she said when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Zhafran Rahim Hamzah.
She said Adib agreed to the conditions and the team gave him the phone on several occasions.
Apart from telling Adib to refrain from browsing the Internet, he was told that he could use his phone to contact his fiancee and family members, such as his parents and siblings.
Dr Suneta said this exchange occurred between Dec 4 and 11 when Adib was attached to the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine.
Dr Suneta, an anaesthesiology consultant, said Adib was con- scious and was not hallucinating despite being sedated.
“In my opinion, Adib was not hallucinating while he was sedated. He was alert and obeyed my instructions. Adib was able to raise his right hand,” she said, adding that she asked him whether he remembered what happened, but he shook his head.
She said despite showing progress, Adib’s condition deteriorated on Dec 14 when he failed to maintain his oxygen level and he was short of breath.
“The carbon dioxide in his blood was increasing and his blood PH level was low, which led us to perform a bronchoscopy (an examination of the airway), but minimal blood clots were detected.” She said Adib’s condition deteriorated further on Dec 15. The team decided to re-deploy the ECMO machine to stabilise his
Dr Suneta: We redeployed the ECMO and increased his medication due to unstable blood pressure and a decrease of oxygen concentration. A blood test showed there was an abnormality in the liver. An ultrasound on his lungs showed they were consolidated (became hardened) as there was little air in the lungs.
Zhafran: Did you perform any computed tomography (CT) scan on the lungs?
Dr Suneta: The team planned to but couldn’t as he was not stable enough to be transferred to the Radiology Department for the scan.
She said Adib’s condition stabilised on Dec 16 but his abdomen remained distended, with doctors continuing with antibiotic and dialysis treatments.
“However, later that day, his blood gas showed an increase in lactate level, which indicated an inadequate blood flow to the body.
“We informed his family before his condition became more unstable.”
Dr Suneta said on Dec 17, Adib’s condition deteriorated rapidly despite medication. His lactate level continued to rise while both his lungs had hardened with multiple small abscesses spotted.
She said Adib was pronounced dead on Dec 17 at 9.41pm due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and multiple organ failure.
Dr Suneta believed Adib could not have survived without being attached to the ECMO machine, which helped his blood flow by bypassing the functions of the heart and lungs.
Dr Suneta was the 15th witness in the inquest, held before Coroner Rofiah Mohamad.