A man died after doctors failed to warn him about the dangers of antibiotics

A man died after multiple health professionals failed to ensure he fully understood the serious risks of taking antibiotics for more than six months.

The man, who was paralyzed, used a temporary self-support system to manage his incontinence.

As a result, he dealt with persistent urinary tract infections and was prescribed the antibiotic nitrofurantoin by a specialist from the regional health board’s spine center (now Health NZ Te Whatu Ora) in 2017.

The man’s treatment was the subject of a complaint to the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC), which found several health practitioners had failed to ensure he was fully aware of the risks of take nitrofurantoin for a long time.

According to MedSafe, taking nitrofurantoin for more than six months can lead to pulmonary toxicity (lung damage).

Because the medication effectively controlled the man’s symptoms, his GP and a urology registrar at another public hospital continued to prescribe it – without ensuring he understood the risks of use for more than six months, HDC noticed.

The chemist who dispensed the drugs also failed to advise him of the dangers.

He ended up taking nitrofurantoin for 28 months over three years and was never warned about the risk of lung disease.

“It follows [the man’s wife]”Her husband never realized the risk of pneumonia when he used nitrofurantoin for more than six months,” the report read.

“[His wife] told HDC that after taking nitrofurantoin for about six to eight months, at first, her husband had a mild and dry cough, but because they did not notice that this could be related to nitrofurantoin, they did not raise any concerns about this. time.”

In 2019, he died of complications from nitrofurantoin-related lung toxicity.

“As a result, he did not have the opportunity to make a fully informed decision about whether the potential benefits outweighed the risks of continuing to take the medication,” the report said. said.

After his death, the man’s wife complained to the HDC.

He said of his complaint: “Above all, I would like to prevent another death that can be avoided due to the lack of professional knowledge about the negative effects of nitrofurantoin.”

Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Carolyn Cooper found that the doctors responsible for the man had “run out of opportunities” to properly inform him of the side effects of the drug.

“While I strongly condemn the fact that none of the health care providers who cared for the man made sure he understood the risks, I believe that no one person or service was responsible. a lot,” Cooper said.

“All health care providers who had a role in ordering and administering nitrofurantoin to that man should have assessed whether he knew the long-term risk at the appropriate time,” and that this did not happen.”

One of the doctors said that he was very sad when he heard about the man’s death and apologized to his family.

“Any part I played in this process is deeply troubling to me. I feel responsible for this and I am very upset that my interaction with him was not the small moment that was needed to change the course. his from an early death.”

Cooper also noted that other doctors prescribing and administering nitrofurantoin, including those who treated the man, were unaware of the risk of lung damage.

“It shed light on a very important issue and encouraged the necessary reforms and education to reduce the chances of a similar situation in the future,” he said.

Since the man’s death, all providers have made “significant” changes and improvements to their method of administering nitrofurantoin.

The pharmacy has requested that the Pharmacy Safety Association publish accurate information about medicines to all public traders.

The spine center has also created an information document to be shared with the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.

The medical center examined all patients prescribed nitrofurantoin to monitor them and make sure they were reminded of side effects.