A 21-year-old woman who was wrongly told to take 14 antibiotic tablets at once, resulting in severe sickness, was awarded £1,000 in compensation.
The claimant ‘C’ was diagnosed with Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) at hospital in June 2022. She was prescribed a seven-day course of the antibiotic Metronidazole (14 tablets) and initially told by a consultant to take one twice a day for a week.
However, after an interjection from a trainee doctor, who said there were two ways to take Metronidazole, the consultant changed their mind and instead told C to take them a second way – all at the same time.
C did as she was told and took all 14 tablets at 9pm. By 3am, she woke up vomiting. When the sickness wouldn’t stop, she called NHS 111 who advised she go to A&E. She got there at 6am but was not seen until midday, during which time she continued to vomit. She was eventually given anti-sickness medication through a cannula and IV fluids to rehydrate her body.
A consultant at A&E looked into what had happened. C was told that she had been given the wrong box – and dosage – of the antibiotic. When the consultant changed her mind about how C was to take the medication, she should have given her a reduced course of five tablets instead of the original 14.
C continued to vomit for the next few days and had to take two weeks off work due to illness and fatigue.
She turned to Medical Solicitors to help bring a medical negligence claim against the trust and was represented by Chanel Watson.
The defendant trust admitted the medication error in pre-action correspondence. Had C been given just five tablets instead of 14, she would have avoided the severe reaction and ongoing sickness. She was awarded £1,000 for her pain and suffering due to the overdose.