Wife claims husband not showered for 5 days after open-heart surgery, NUH cites risks due to chest tubes
A woman whose husband had undergone open-heart surgery reported feeling taken aback that he was not showered or sponged after being moved to the general ward at the National University Hospital (NUH).
Stomper Sha’s husband underwent his surgery at NUH on Aug 13 and spent three days in the intensive care unit before being transferred to the general ward.
“That very evening (in the general ward), my husband told me that he was feeling very warm,” Sha told Stomp.
She said she informed the nurse, who discovered her husband was running a fever of 38.9°C. The nurse then placed a cold towel on his head while he was seated on the bed.
“This caused my husband’s hospital gown, his bed and his wound to be very wet,” said Sha.
Sha alleged that the nurse left without changing or drying her husband’s gown and his wound, so she wiped him down and changed his gown herself.
Just half an hour later, her husband accidentally soiled himself and Sha informed the nurse.
She claimed the nurse — a different one from before — had advised her to remove her husband’s pants to clean him herself.
“I was so taken aback. Shouldn’t this be done by the nurse?” the Stomper questioned.
It was at this point that her husband revealed that he had neither showered nor been sponged for the past five days, despite being provided a towel and new hospital gown daily.
Sha submitted feedback to NUH via email and the hospital’s online feedback form. She also said that she asked a nurse about showering and was told, “NUH doesn’t practice that”.
Confused as to why her husband could not be showered, Sha said she would do it herself, but the shower room had “bulky items”.
She showed Stomp a photo of a sink area with bins underneath it, as well as a photo of her husband with two tubes running from his chest.
“I didn’t expect to experience such things in Singapore,” Sha said.
NUH: Patients with chest tubes not encouraged to shower to avoid risks
Assistant Director of Nursing Nyeo Hui Qing, Head, National University Heart Centre (NUHCS), told Stomp on Aug 26 that the hospital is aware of the patient’s feedback and emphasised that hygiene is an important aspect of nursing care.
“In the specific patient’s case, he had recently undergone open-heart surgery on 13 August 2026 and had chest tubes in place until 16 August,” Nyeo explained.
She clarified that patients with chest tubes are generally not encouraged to shower, as water exposure to the chest tube insertion site and dressing may increase the risk of complications, including dressing compromise and infection.
“During this period, he received routine post-operative hygiene care, including chlorhexidine antiseptic wipe-downs and sponging,” she added.
Nyeo acknowledged that Sha’s husband was not sponged on Aug 15, following his ward transfer.
“While he continued to receive nursing care, we acknowledge that the timing of the transfer may have contributed to a gap in the provision of routine hygiene care that day and will review our processes to minimise such occurrences,” she said.
Nyeo said the patient resumed showering independently on Aug 18.
Cold compress provided for fever, nurse present when cleaning soiled patient
In response to Sha’s concerns about the way her husband’s fever was managed, Nyeo said: “Our review indicates the team had provided cold compresses to help reduce the fever.”
“Based on the attending nurses’ assessments, the patient’s clothing may have become slightly damp from perspiration and the cooling measures provided, but there were no observations of excessive water or heavily soaked bedding.
“Patients who require assistance with personal hygiene or have soiled themselves are attended to by our nursing team,” Nyeo explained.
The hospital’s review found that a nurse was present throughout the process, assisting with patient support, positioning, diaper removal, dressing and disposal of soiled materials while ensuring the safety of Sha’s husband.
NUH claimed that Sha herself participated in the cleaning.
“While family members are encouraged to be involved in a patient’s care, we recognise that there may have been differing expectations regarding the extent of assistance to be provided, and we will take this feedback into account as part of our review,” Nyeo said.
Shower room clean and dry
The shower room photographed was cleaned regularly and kept dry to minimise the risk of falls, Nyeo explained.
“The shower commode is routinely placed in the shower room for use by patients who require assistance,” she added.
For patients who are independently mobile and able to shower without assistance, it can be moved out to provide additional space as required.
The hospital added that it appreciates Sha for sharing her concerns, and will continue to engage the family to address their concerns and provide close support.
NUH will also identify areas where the care experience could have been better, “address these with the team concerned and take the necessary steps to improve”.
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