Östersund Hospital is criticized by the Swedish Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO) for several shortcomings that led to healthcare professionals missing that a man admitted to Östersund Hospital had meningitis. The fact that the man suffered from meningitis was first discovered at autopsy.
Samples of cerebrospinal fluid should have been done
On three occasions during a week, the man came in by ambulance to Östersund Hospital with diffuse pains in the back and torso and impaired general condition. Kidney stones were found, but were not judged to need to be addressed. On the third occasion, the man was feverish, confused and had high blood pressure. Two days later, the man died at Östersund Hospital without it being discovered that he had contracted meningitis.
One of the man's relatives reported the care to the IVO and says in the report that there were several signs that the man suffered from meningitis. The notifier believes that a lumbar puncture – a spinal fluid test that can show infection of the nervous system should have been carried out. The IVO agrees that such a test should have been done and believes that there was an unreasonable delay in the correct diagnosis.
The patient was treated at the wrong level of care
There were shortcomings in the medical treatment, which delayed the correct diagnosis being made. Furthermore, the authority assesses that "the patient did not receive good care". According to IVO's assessment, the patient was treated at the wrong level of care. Based on the man's illness with elevated blood pressure , concussion, fever and abnormalities in blood tests, the man should have been cared for with continuous monitoring and more staff. In addition, IVO believes that communication broke between different devices about different samples and responses.