OSAKA - The family of an elderly man who died after a key was discovered lodged in his throat while he was hospitalized in Osaka has filed a lawsuit against the hospital, alleging negligence in handling the object.
An X-ray taken before the man's death shows a large shadow in his throat, later identified as a 12-centimeter key with a keychain attached. The man, Kenichi Onishi, who ran a printing business in Osaka, passed away three years ago at the age of 82.
His 55-year-old son recalled his reaction at the time: "At first, I imagined it was a small key that he accidentally swallowed. But when I saw it, I was shocked. It was heavy and oddly shaped, and I could only think how much my father must have suffered."
According to the family, Onishi had been hospitalized at a nearby hospital in January 2022 after fracturing his chest bone in a fall. He was undergoing rehabilitation when, in September of that year, he complained of throat pain and was diagnosed with COVID-19. A chest X-ray revealed the key lodged in his throat, which was subsequently removed, but he died a few days later.
The presence of the large 12-centimeter metal key with a keychain has raised questions about how it ended up in his throat. The son explained that it was a "clothing key" used to secure a special jumpsuit designed to prevent patients from tampering with medical equipment or diapers. Onishi, who had been diagnosed with mild dementia, was wearing the zippered suit during his stay.
Two years ago, the hospital told the family that the key was likely left on a table near Onishi’s bed and may have been accidentally swallowed. The family claims that the ingestion of the key led to complications such as aspiration pneumonia, contributing to his death.
"The death certificate lists COVID-19 as the cause of death, but I believe he could have lived longer had he not swallowed the key," said the son. "His COVID condition wasn’t that severe, and the hospital’s explanations have kept changing. They need to reconsider the gravity of being entrusted with human lives."
In April this year, the family filed a lawsuit at the Osaka District Court seeking 16.5 million yen in damages from the medical corporation that operates the hospital, citing negligence in failing to properly manage the key.
While the hospital acknowledged improper management of the key in documents submitted to the family in October 2023, it denied any causal link between the key's ingestion and Onishi’s death. The hospital declined to comment further, stating that the relevant personnel were unavailable.
Source: YOMIURI
