JUST VENTING

Annoyed Patient Turns Off Roommate’s Ventilator Twice, German Officials Say

The 72-year-old woman was annoyed by the sound the life support machine made, German authorities said.

A 72-year-old woman being treated in a German hospital was allegedly so annoyed by the noise her roommate’s ventilator was making that she turned it off—not once but twice, the Associated Press reported Thursday. Citing local authorities, the AP said that the unidentified woman was arrested and jailed on suspicion of attempted manslaughter after being hauled before a judge on Wednesday. Police and prosecutors accused her of switching off her roommate’s life support machine a second time despite being told by staff after the first incident that it was necessary to keep the 79-year-old woman alive. The ventilated patient had to be revived after the Tuesday evening fiasco, and remained in intensive care as of Thursday, authorities said.