Deception and self-harm in the quest for freedom: an audit of Vietnamese boat people admitted to a regional hospital in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVES

To document the medical problems of detained Vietnamese boat people admitted to hospital in Hong Kong, and to identify the medical problems or features that may indicate an intention to abscond.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A retrospective review of the records of all Vietnamese boat people admitted to the Medical Unit of the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, between 1 October 1993 and 30 September 1994.

RESULTS

614 Vietnamese boat people were admitted during the 12 months (comprising 3% of total admissions). 92 (15%) of these absconded from hospital after admission (compared with 0.06% for all other admissions). Gastrointestinal bleeding, clinical sepsis, drug overdose and spontaneous pneumothorax were the most common presentations among those who absconded. One-third (33.8%) of the 80 patients whose symptoms indicated gastrointestinal bleeding had insignificant endoscopic findings. Needle puncture marks were found in nine of the 75 patients with unexplained bacteraemia and in five of the 12 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians who provide medical care to Vietnamese boat people should be aware of the high incidence of absconding from hospital and that self-inflicted injuries are not uncommon and may identify intending absconders.