A former doctor has been charged with manslaughter after an 84-year-old man died following a 2019 surgery, police in Laval, Que., said Tuesday.
Isabelle Désormeau was arrested March 30 and released under conditions and a promise to appear for her arraignment on April 21, the police service north of Montreal said.
Désormeau, police said, was the anesthetist at the time of the surgery, and according to records, has not practised for several years.
Police said Désormeau, 52, faces one count of manslaughter in connection with the death of the patient on Nov. 1, 2019, at Cité-de-la-Santé hospital in Laval, a Montreal suburb.
A summary of facts compiled by police is included in a Quebec Superior Court ruling that denies a request by police to gain access to sealed files held by Quebec’s college of physicians.
According to the Quebec Superior Court ruling, the victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, went to the hospital north of Montreal on Oct. 31, 2019, with stomach pain, and underwent surgery. Before the surgery, the patient agreed that if the surgeon found something serious during the procedure, he did not want to be resuscitated or intubated.
The court ruling says that during the operation, the surgeon concluded that the patient’s condition was serious. The doctor left the surgery room and told the patient’s niece that the man would be transferred to intensive care and receive palliative services. The patient was expected to live a few days at most.
After the surgeon closed up the patient and left the surgery room, Désormeau allegedly told the intensive care doctor that the victim had no family. Désormeau also allegedly said that an intensive care bed was not needed for the man and then allegedly removed the respirator from the patient while he was under anesthesia. She allegedly then gave him medication, the nature of which is under a publication ban.
The victim died about 20 minutes later. Désormeau was allegedly confronted by two nurses but ignored their protests. A complaint against her was filed the same day.
The court documents say that after receiving reports from the nurses and speaking to Désormeau — who insisted the medications she administered were for palliative care — the hospital’s director of professional services called police.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
Quebec’s college of physicians says Désormeau resigned on Dec. 18, 2019.
Laval police are asking anyone with information about the accused or the incident to contact them.