The man, who was in his 50s, was treated for a serious tumor disease at a hospital in southern Sweden. In connection with that, he suffered from worry and anxiety – which was treated with antidepressant medication and conversational contact.
But when the staff suspected that the drugs had a negative effect on the patient’s liver, the treatment was paused and the man was discharged from the hospital. A short time later, the man committed suicide, reports the Siren news agency.
The anxiety “greater than expected”
“Due to liver damage, cortisone was given and at the same time the antidepressant medication was paused as there was uncertainty about the cause of the liver damage,” the report states.
The incident occurred in September of last year and now the hospital is being reported under lex Maria for having caused “serious medical damage”.
The man’s anxiety is described in the report as “greater than expected”, which was the reason why the treatment was applied.
“Could have improved care”
The report states that the man’s bad mood has been noticed by staff, but that no one has perceived him as suicidal. It says that the hospital carries out training for its staff, so that they will be better able to detect deteriorating mental health – but that it may have been insufficient.
“It is possible that a better knowledge among staff about the risk of suicide could have improved care,” the report states.