Patient died after an emergency visit to Skellefteå

It was in December 2020 that a patient visited the emergency room in Skellefteå with impaired breathing.

Upon arrival, the patient had a fever and an impaired oxygenation of 92 percent, but showed a negative covid test.

The doctor diagnosed a respiratory infection and sent the patient home with a prescription for antibiotics.

Deteriorated during the evening

Later that evening, the patient had a cardiac arrest and was taken urgently to an intensive care unit, but died shortly thereafter.

The autopsy showed an overdose of psychotropic drugs in the patient.

- Due to deficiencies in care at the emergency room, the patient was exposed to risk of injury, which is the basis for the report.

Probably the intake of psychotropic drugs and ongoing deterioration of health due to infection contributed to a sudden unexpected death, the chief physician writes in a report to IVO.

SVT has sought the chief physician for a comment.