Nurse Admits ‘I Got Confused’ After Administering Wrong Blood Transfusion

A serious medical error at a hospital in Piraeus has sparked justified reactions, where a nurse mistakenly transfused blood to a 62-year-old woman who did not need it and with the wrong blood type. As a result, the patient suffered multiple cerebral issues and faced a significant battle for her life, according to iatropedia.gr. The incident involved two women in the same ward: one requiring blood due to low hematocrit levels and another with mild neurological symptoms who did not need a transfusion. The nurse reportedly confused the patients, leading to the administration of incompatible blood, causing hemolysis—a severe condition that can lead to organ failure. The woman was immediately transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, where she is showing signs of improvement. While permanent damage seems unlikely, complications cannot be entirely ruled out. The nurse admitted his mistake, simply stating, ‘I got confused.’ Both disciplinary and criminal investigations are underway, with the prosecutor taking over the case. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis responded promptly, requesting an investigation into hospital procedures and offering apologies to the patient and her family. The National Blood Centre (EKEA) confirmed no fault in the blood supply process, emphasizing the error as purely human. They aim to review protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future. This case highlights the delicate balance between human error and patient safety, underlining the need for rigorous identification checks during critical medical procedures.