The Attikon University General Hospital in Athens said it has launched an investigation after two nurses administered the wrong medication to a 22-year-old patient who suffered a serious allergic reaction.
The incident occurred at the hospital’s short-term hospitalization unit on Sunday night where the young woman was being treated for a mild illness. Kathimerini understands that the two nurses on duty allegedly gave the patient an anti-fungal medication intended for a different patient.
The woman experienced a severe allergic reaction, which was treated immediately by medical staff, without the need for transfer to the ICU.
The patient’s father submitted a complaint to the local police station, after which the two nurses were temporarily arrested and charged with negligent bodily harm.
A forensic examination was also ordered to determine the 22-year-old’s patient’s health.
The incident is the fourth known mistake made in a Greek hospital this year. Earlier this month, a 28-year-old pregnant woman died after suffering a fatal allergic reaction to an antibiotic at the Arta General Hospital. In September, three medical staff members at a private hospital were taken into custody after administering a blood transfusion with the wrong blood type to a 67-year-old patient, while last June a similar transfusion error at Tzaneio Hospital in Piraeus resulted in the death of a 62-year-old woman.