Drug overdose: a nurse sues the CIUSSS de l’Estrie … as a patient

The care team was even afraid that the patient “will not come that night,” to show that the request to start proceedings has been filed in the high court and discussed with him. The Tribune. However, according to the document, “serious” and “fatal” consequences could have resulted from this error “which is very dangerous for [sa] see».

After the shock that followed the trauma, it was impossible for the professional nurse to resume her duties on the hospital floor. He had to perform administrative duties to avoid being reinstated to the program, the suit says.

The patient, a mother of two young children, is asking for $1,128,620 from CIUSSS de l’Estrie, mainly for moral damage, severe anxiety disorders, loss of income and family imbalance.

Her partner is seeking $64,000 in alimony and lost wages. For several hours, the father of the patient’s children says that he has not heard from his partner, which causes him to have a “terrible fear”.

19 times more than the prescribed amount of magnesium

The incident occurred in April 2020, according to the court document that was discussed. Note that the facts mentioned have not yet passed the test of the courts.

The file is still ongoing, although an extension of the deadline was recently requested until March 2025, almost a year after the cancellation of the request to start proceedings.

The plaintiff was the victim of an “extremely dangerous overdose of IV magnesium”, administered by a health care worker, we read.

The patient went to the hospital for postpartum eclampsia, an acute attack of high blood pressure. He said that he has been suffering from a severe migraine for several days. The doctor in charge ordered intravenous magnesium treatment, explaining the process of the initial application.

The solution was to be given at the rate of six milliliters per hour.

Meanwhile, the patient was transferred from the emergency room on the 8th floor of the hospital to the intensive care unit. According to the suit, the nurse who takes the program has a flow rate of 115 milliliters per hour, or 19 times more than the flow rate previously mentioned in the emergency room. And this, without doing the necessary double verification with his colleagues.

In the worst case, the patient, who did not know his dose, informed the care team. “Quick [elle] it loses the ability to move, speak and stay awake,” it says. In pain and suffering, he recounts his deteriorating condition.

The operator then abruptly stops intravenous therapy. “No one knows what to do to reverse the ongoing poisoning,” the suit says. The care team transferred the patient to the intensive care unit where he was hospitalized for several days.

Financial loss

The patient said that he was frightened after the incident which left him anxious and cautious. He had to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to recover from the incident.

For his part, his partner says he had to go with him systematically to prevent a panic attack.

The patient also said he had “excessive sweating and pain in the middle of his arms” due to the ongoing stress. He asked to be transferred to the center to avoid having to face this infection again and again in his work. More than three years after the controversial case, the patient was slowly returning to a reduced schedule of 20 hours a week, the document maintains.

Under those circumstances, he says he lost more than $12,000 in earnings. Loss of earnings is up to $4,000 for his spouse.

At the time of writing, the attorney representing the plaintiff in the case was unavailable for comment.

“Out of respect for the ongoing legal process, we cannot comment on this situation,” said the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS, when asked about the matter.