By IANS,
New Delhi : A Delhi court Saturday directed Max Hospital to pay a compensation of Rs.150,000 to a patient for not properly diagnosing him as a result of which he had to be shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission headed by Justice J.D. Kapoor observed that according to medical literature, sodium level below 120 mg per litre is dangerous and injection Lasix should not be given at all.
The doctor, who administered the injection, was negligent for not monitoring it before giving the injection, the commission said.
“Doctors should have been on high alert and should have anticipated that the patient can develop Hyponatraemia in post-operative period,” observed Kapoor.
Dhanesh Agrahari, 70, a resident of Pitampura in north-west Delhi, was admitted to Max Hospital May 21, 2005 for a knee replacement operation. He also suffered from hypertension.
The dose was repeated without monitoring the sodium serum level which was 107 mg. As the condition of the patient worsened, he was immediately shifted to ICU. He was treated for correction of hyponatremia, which could result in irritability and rise in blood pressure.
The hospital pleaded that Injection Lasix is used for treatment of Hyponatremia and since it was on the next day the blood report revealed the problem, the patient was shifted to ICU for corrective treatment.
This plea was not accepted by the commission.