Maryland regulators are investigating the death of a patient who jumped out of a window at Baltimore-based University of Maryland Medical Center June 4, according to a WBAL TV report.
The patient, who reportedly was under suicide watch on the hospital's psychiatric floor, shattered the window with his elbow and jumped. He fell seven stories before landing on a third-floor awning. The patient suffered several injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital's Shock Trauma center.
The death, which is being investigated by the Maryland Department of Health's Office of Health Care Quality, raised questions about the supervision of the patient. Regulators also are reviewing how the patient was able to shatter the window.
A spokesperson for the medical center said that the windows are appropriate and within code for the type of room.
"While there are natural questions that arise from such a difficult event, in respect of our patient's dignity and family privacy, we cannot further elaborate on the details of the incident. All appropriate protocols were followed in the care of this patient prior to this event. We have conducted a thorough root cause analysis to better understand what happened," a medical center spokesperson told WBAL TV.