Case Study

Elizabeth Larner has reached a settlement of £21,350 on behalf of a client who was administered an incorrect dosage of IV salbutamol in hospital.

The gentleman was initially admitted to A&E with worsening shortness of breath and wheezing due to his brittle asthma. This was somewhat typical as he often experienced exacerbations of this condition, requiring a short admission to hospital for stabilisation. Accordingly, it was decided that IV salbutamol would be prescribed.

However, he was given an incorrect dosage of IV salbutamol at a rate of 1500ml per hour instead of 18mls per hour. This caused chest pain, and required admission to Intensive Care for monitoring for potential cardiac arrest.

The gentleman was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after being told that he needed to be transferred to ITU due to the risk of arrhythmia or cardiac arrest. In particular, he feared that he either would not survive, or that the hospital would not resuscitate him due to a pre-existing Do Not Resuscitate Order.

The settlement was agreed on the basis that this detriment would have been avoided had the hospital correctly administered the IV salbutamol. The team at Wollens were able to secure compensation which included an award for private psychological therapy, so that the gentleman could quickly secure some psychological treatment to help him overcome his fear of further hospital admissions.

The gentleman said “Thank you for the prompt email, I have to say that I think the offer and your fees are very fair.  Again, thank you for looking after me through this process.  I have begun the process of seeking psychological help which I hope will be helpful to me”.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this case study and want to find out if you have a claim, please do not hesitate to contact one of the Clinical Negligence Team at Wollens.

Speak to Elizabeth Larner

Elizabeth is a Partner at Wollens and can advise you. Contact Elizabeth via email Elizabeth.Larner@wollens.co.uk or call 01803 225135.

You can also complete an online enquiry form. One of the Wollens team will contact you as soon as they are available.