Am J Psychiatry 1977; 134:1376-1380
Copyright © 1977 by American Psychiatric Association
Denying the incredible: unexplained deaths in a Veterans Administration hospital
P Kroll, K Silk, K Chamberlain and R Ging
During July and August 1975 a large number of patients at the Ann Arbor
Veterans Administration Hospital experienced unexplained respiratory
arrests, and there were six deaths. These were later shown to be due to the
deliberate injection of pancuronium bromide, a muscle relaxant. A
questionnaire survey of the reactions of the hospital patients and staff to
the deaths revealed that the patients had more confidence in the hospital
and their medical treatment than did the staff, and those patients who were
theoretically most vulnerable used denial to cope with the unprecedented
and frightening situation.
