A father of three has died after a nurse allegedly injected him with antibiotics he was allergic to ahead of an operation.
The incident took place at a hospital in the region of Karaganda, in Kazakhstan, on 8th November.
Torezhan Makashev, 40, who worked at the Department of Criminal Executive System was scheduled for surgery for haemorrhoid removal but was given a fatal combination of a drug called CEF-3, used to treat certain types of pneumonia and infections, and novocaine.
This triggered anaphylactic shock, leading to his death, according to reports.
Gulmira Makasheva, Torezhan’s wife, said her husband told the doctors several times that he was allergic to a mixture of CEF-3 and novocaine.
Gulmira even explained that last year the drug mixture accidentally splashed on her husband’s skin and it became bloated.
However, the hospital claimed that they followed a standard treatment protocol.
They added that to prevent infections they injected Torezhan with the antibiotic before the operation, which they said tests showed he was not allergic to.
But Gulmira said: “Why was this antibiotic prescribed at all if they knew perfectly well that he had an allergy? That is, upon admission, he had a bracelet with all the personal data and a blue marker, that is, a note that he was allergic.”
She added: “Why is the nurse who injected my husband still at work?
“Usually after this, they will usually be suspended until the circumstances are clarified.”
Gulmira also said: “My husband was 40 years old and had three children. The little one is constantly looking for him.”
However, Olga Smirnova, head of the department of the committee for control of medical and pharmaceutical activities in the Karaganda region, said the nurse could not be suspended at that time because there were no medical documents confirming that the patient was allergic to the combination of CEF-3 and novocaine.
She added that a preliminary diagnosis by forensic experts had established that he died of anaphylactic shock.
However, after investigating, Kanat Abzaliev, the deputy head of the Health Department of the Karaganda region said: “There was an extremely severe degree of anaphylactic reaction. During the inspection, defects were identified.
“In particular, poor-quality collection of an allergic history by emergency room doctors, the acting head of the proctology department, and a nurse during triage was revealed.
“An insufficient level of organisational and managerial work on quality control was revealed providing medical care to surgical patients.”
The Karaganda police have now opened a criminal case for medical negligence.
