The wrong leg of an 82-year-old patient was amputated in a hospital in Austria. The Klinikum Freistadt announced on Thursday that the man’s left leg should have been removed.
Shortly before the operation on Tuesday, however, the wrong limb was marked. It is a “tragic medical malpractice”. The mix-up was discovered when the dressing was changed.
The patient’s second leg must now also be removed. The Upper Austrian health holding has announced a comprehensive clarification. The public prosecutor should be involved.
«A chain of unfortunate circumstances of mistakes»
According to the health holding company, the patient has many illnesses. Both legs were affected, one of them so bad that a thigh amputation was necessary.
“Unfortunately, the error happened due to a chain of unfortunate circumstances,” said a press release. The patient and his relatives had been offered psychological help. “We assure that we will do everything we can to clear up the case, to review and question all internal processes,” it said. (SDA)