Vasopressor Complication Costs Patient Fingers; Hospital, Doctors slapped Rs 6 lakh compensation for negligence

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Salem, recently directed a city-based private hospital and its four doctors to pay Rs 6 lakh compensation to a patient who lost three fingers on his right hand while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Even though the hospital and the doctors claimed that standard treatment using antibiotics fluid, resuscitation, vasopressors and oxygen supplementation was given to the complainant, who was suffering from septic shock, the Consumer Court opined that the doctors should have taken reasonable care in the treatment of the complainant in choosing a method or procedure of treatment.

The court noted that high-dose infusion of vasopressors can induce peripheral vasoconstruction and Vasopressor induced tissue ischemia and gangrene.

The history of the case goes back to 2024, when the patient/complainant was admitted to the treating hospital with a fever. It was alleged by the Complainant that he was admitted to the treating hospital for simple fever, and doctors at the hospital advised ECG, radiology, and microbiology tests for the simple fever treatment.

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Patient loses fingers after vasopressors treatment: Hospital, Doctors slapped Rs 6 lakh compensation for medical negligence