A 62-year-old woman is in critical but stable condition in the ICU at Tzaneio Hospital, a public hospital in southern Athens, after she was mistakenly given a blood transfusion intended for another patient.
The severe error led to multiple strokes, and the woman has already undergone brain surgery to remove a hematoma caused by the adverse reaction.
The incident occurred on the morning of Wednesday, June 4. The nurse responsible for the transfusion reportedly administered blood to the woman, who was awaiting surgery but did not require a transfusion, instead of the patient in the adjacent bed who did.
The woman’s family has filed a lawsuit, and the nurse is now facing charges of causing bodily harm and grievous bodily injury. He has not yet presented himself to the police and is currently being sought.
Investigations are underway for the mistaken blood transfusion
Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis has ordered an internal administrative investigation into the “tragic error” to determine the circumstances that led to the mix-up. He has also instructed the National Organization for Quality Assurance in Health to review hospital procedures, and the National Blood Donation Center (EKEA) has been tasked with investigating the incident.
Tzaneio Hospital released a statement confirming that “a unit of blood intended for another patient was mistakenly administered to inpatient K.H., ID no. 1241111, by a nurse from one of our hospital wards.”
The statement further noted that the patient had a different blood type from the administered blood, resulting in severe symptoms and her immediate transfer to the ICU. The hospital’s Legal Department has filed a criminal complaint with the Piraeus Prosecutor’s Office to determine potential criminal responsibility.
“Nothing Like This Has Ever Happened Before”
Elena Tsagkari, President of the National Blood Donation Center (EKEA), expressed shock over the incident, stating, “Nothing like this has ever occurred before.”
She emphasized that there are extremely strict control protocols in place for blood collection, donation, and transfusion that are designed to prevent such mistakes. Tsagkari highlighted that a mandatory re-check of blood compatibility is performed at hospitals, and each transfusion is clearly labeled and methodical.
EKEA has received a directive from the Health Minister to thoroughly investigate the “unprecedented case step by step” to understand what went wrong.
Tsagkari noted that the nurse involved is reportedly quite young and expressed her hope for the patient’s full recovery, acknowledging the justification for the criminal investigation by the patient’s family. She reiterated that monitoring during transfusions is standard to detect any adverse reactions, and thankfully, the error was noticed quickly.