Anesthesiologist charged with manslaughter after patient’s death in Quebec

Police in Laval, Que. say a health-care worker has been arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection with an elderly patient’s death in 2019.

Isabelle Desormeau, 52, was arrested on March 30. She was released with conditions and is expected back in court on April 21.

In a statement Tuesday, police say Desormeau was the anesthesiologist during a surgery for an 84-year-old man at Laval’s Cité-de-la-Santé hospital.

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, Desormeau allegedly told the intensive care doctor that the victim had no family. Desormeau 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. Desormeau 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 Desormeau — 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

Following the operation, the man died in hospital on Nov. 1, 2019. The regional health authority for Laval’s board of directors accepted Desormeau’s resignation two weeks later, according to minutes from a general assembly meeting.

“Questions about the circumstances of the death led to the opening of a police investigation,” police said in a statement.

Police did not provide more information about the patient’s death, but said the province’s Crown prosecutors office granted an arrest warrant for Desormeau following an investigation.

Quebec’s college of physicians said Desormeau quit the profession in December 2019.

Anyone with information about Desormeau or the patient’s death is asked to contact authorities, police say.

Police also said that can be done anonymously by calling the confidential line at 450-662-INFO (4636) or by calling 911 and mentioning file LVL-191109- 024.

— with files from Global News’ Kalina Laframboise