Woman who was brain damaged after Achilles tendon operation is awarded £11m
BMJ 2019; 367 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l6717 (Published 27 November 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;367:l6717
- Clare Dyer
- The BMJ
A woman who had a cardiac arrest and sustained brain damage after a simple operation to repair a torn Achilles tendon has won a settlement of over £11m (€12.9m; $14.2m) from the NHS.
The unnamed woman, who was in her early 40s, went to the emergency department at North Middlesex University Hospital in 2010 after rupturing her Achilles tendon while playing sport. She had the operation the following day.
She was slow to wake up after the procedure, so the anaesthetist gave her doxapram, a respiratory stimulant. The drug is effective for only a short period, …
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