A 49-year-old man died at Hospital Pedro Hispano, in Matosinhos, after being given penicillin, an antibiotic to which he was allergic.
The doctor and nurse responsible for prescribing and administering the medicine were convicted by the Court of Appeal of Porto for the crime of harming physical integrity through negligence, to pay a fine of 900 euros and compensation of 25 thousand euros to the patient’s son, a sentence now confirmed by the Supreme Court of Justice after an appeal filed by the nurse, advances the JN.
The two health professionals were initially acquitted by the court of first instance, in the Court of Matosinhos, but were convicted after an appeal by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the victim’s family.
The patient in question had suffered a road accident on the IC5, in Vila Real, on January 4, 2015. He underwent surgery for several fractures at the local hospital, where it was recorded in the clinical file that he was allergic to penicillin, he was transferred two days later to the Matosinhos Local Health Unit, in his area of residence.
However, the doctor who treated him in Matosinhos did not access the patient’s medical records or question him about possible allergies, having prescribed, via intravenous injection, amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, an antibiotic that belongs to the penicillin group. The medication was administered by a nurse who also did not access the clinical information.
Shortly afterwards, the patient began to have difficulty breathing and several other symptoms indicative of an acute anaphylactic reaction, eventually dying.