A patient who received 500 times the right amount of medication dies...There's no direct cause-and-effect relationship to the hospital
Sep 03, 2025
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According to Japanese media, including the Mainichi Shimbun, a female patient in her 90s who is hospitalized at a general hospital in Yahatani City, Kitakyushu, was found in cardiac arrest.
The patient, who was hospitalized for acute enteritis, suddenly had systolic blood pressure (maximum blood pressure) dropped to 70 mmHG the next day.
The nurse in charge informed her doctor, who was operating at the time told her to dilute the noradrenaline drug with saline and continue to administer it as a booster through another nurse.
However, the instructed nurse did not dilute noradrenaline, and was injected intravenously with approximately 500 times the indicated dose. Noradrenaline has a strong effect even in small amounts, so it is classified as a 'high-risk drug'.
Subsequently, the patient's average heart rate (BPM) soared from 70 to 180, and the systolic blood pressure soared to 220 mmHG, leading to cardiac arrest.
She underwent resuscitation and monitored in the ICU, but closed her eyes about 3 hours later.
However, the hospital did not inform the medical accident investigation support center.
In response, the hospital explained that it was not a medical accident based on the symptoms and clinical findings at the time of hospitalization, and subsequent clinical progress.
In addition, the hospital did not conduct an investigation of the cause of death using post-mortem imaging.
The hospital explained that it was because it did not obtain the consent of the nursing facility where the patient lived. However, the facility said "We are not in a position to approve or not approve the inspection. I was explained at the hospital and had to follow the doctor's instructions" countered.
One specialist noted that "Quick intravenous administration of noradrenaline can lead to death. Medical records and other data have not been reviewed, making it unclear, but overdoses may have killed the woman", he pointed out.
However, the hospital director and officials said at a press conference on the 1st, `It is true that the administration error has occurred and we are sorry"However, there is no direct causal relationship between incorrect administration and patient death" he stressed.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
