Nurse Transfused Wrong Blood Type, Patient Died. After 4 Years, It's Final

The tragic incident occurred on January 20, 2021, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The Tomaszów Health Center became the scene of dramatic events that ended with the death of Jan G., a doctor from Ujazd.

- The case of the death of a well-known doctor from Ujazd, who was admitted to the Tomaszów Health Center and then died of shock caused by the administration of blood with the wrong blood type for the patient, has had a wide resonance, not only in the medical community - the local portal nasztomaszow.pl reminds.

The patient was admitted to hospital with severe pneumonia and increasing shortness of breath. As part of the treatment, he was supposed to receive plasma from convalescents. Unfortunately, there was a fatal mistake by the staff - he was given blood intended for another patient . The consequences were immediate.

The transfusion of the wrong blood type resulted in a severe immune reaction, leading to anemia and respiratory and circulatory failure. The man died the next day .

The case of the patient's death was thoroughly analyzed by investigators. The prosecutor of the District Prosecutor's Office in Piotrków Trybunalski filed an indictment against doctor Monika Z. and nurse Karina P. on June 24, 2024.

The indictment charged both women with exposing a patient to direct danger of loss of life or serious bodily harm and with unintentionally causing death . According to Articles 160 and 155 of the Penal Code, such crimes are punishable by imprisonment from 3 months to 5 years.

During the court proceedings, it was determined that key errors were made by both the doctor and the nurse. As revealed by Regional Court Judge Jacek Niewiadomski, Vice-President of the District Court in Tomaszów Mazowiecki:

— The doctor ordered a blood transfusion from a nurse who was not authorized to do so. In addition, the doctor was not present at the time the transfusion began, did not identify the recipient and did not provide medical documentation — said Regional Court Judge Jacek Niewiadomski, vice-president of the District Court in Tomaszów Mazowiecki in an interview with Onet.pl.

Although both women pleaded not guilty , the court found that their negligence had a direct impact on Jan G.'s death.

Initially, the District Court in Tomaszów Mazowiecki conditionally discontinued the proceedings against both defendants. However, as a result of an appeal, the Regional Court in Piotrków Trybunalski imposed more severe penalties.

Monika Z., the coordinator of the internal medicine department, was sentenced to 10 months of imprisonment suspended for a year of probation and an obligation to pay PLN 20,000 in damages to the family of the deceased. Nurse Karina P. received a 6-month suspended prison sentence for a year and PLN 5,000 in damages - Onet.pl reports.

Copyrighted material - reprint rules are specified in the regulations .