On March 10, Nicolas, a 17-year-old teenager, died following a rapid lung disease. The parents of the young man, devastated, do not understand that the Samu did not take them seriously.
The SAMU is singled out once again for not having measured the severity of a patient’s symptoms. This Tuesday, March 21, 2023, Lionel and Julie Carrère bury their eldest son, Nicolas, 17 years old. The teenager died on March 10 of fulgurating pneumonia, and this despite numerous calls to 15 and 18 during which they were advised not to go to the emergency room. For the first time, these parents of four children testify for the Dispatch of their incomprehension. “In two days, my child’s state of health suddenly deteriorated. We are in France, that should never happen” says Lionel.
As of Wednesday March 8, the couple, worried about the state of health of their son who “had stomach and rib pain.” As the teenager is not used to complaining, Julie immediately takes him to the doctor. This one listens to him, and advises them to go to the emergency room immediately. Having no means of transport, Julie contacted 18 for the first time around 7 p.m. that evening, to request an ambulance.
“Nicolas and I took turns on the phone. I made it clear that he was vomiting, had abdominal and rib pain. However, our interlocutor advised us not to come to the emergency room. He diagnosed the flu and said there was no need to travel” says the mother. The conversation lasts about fifteen minutes, at the end of which she decides to follow the advice of the SAMU, which is once again singled out in this affair. “From the moment the regulator of the 18th and a doctor told me, on the phone, that my son’s place was not in the emergency room, I followed their advice. I am not a doctor, I applied the emergency instructions“
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Nicolas’ condition deteriorated very quickly over two days
Between this first call and Friday, March 10, parents will make five more similar calls to SAMU. All with the same conclusion. However, Nicolas’ condition continues to worsen. He died in the parking lot of the Martres-Tolosane pharmacy, near Toulouse. At that time, an ambulance was on the way following a last call made directly by the pharmacist. Following this tragic event, the autopsy revealed pneumopathy, a pathology that could have been treated. The teenager’s parents do not understand that his case was not taken care of earlier.
“It’s not normal. My son just had pneumonia. In France, it has to be cured. I don’t understand why no one took me seriously. If I had been sitting on my couch begging him to stop complaining, okay it would be my fault. But there, I called five times on the 18th and 15th. I even saw a doctor.” An investigation was launched to determine if the SAMU had all the information necessary to avoid Nicolas’ death. The SAMU 31 spokesperson on his side does not recognize any error on his part : “Each time, the SAMU 31 professionals paid great attention to the situation and offered the young man and his family the appropriate care, in view of the information collected on his state of health.”