By way of background, the Plaintiff attended her college Health Centre after feeling ill and her GP ordered a blood test which was carried out the next day by the practice nurse. A tourniquet was firstly placed on the Plaintiff’s right arm and the nurse then inserted the needle without first locating a vein. The nurse then shifted the needle around inside the Plaintiff’s arm to find a vein. When that was unsuccessful, the nurse switched to the Plaintiff’s left arm and again, did not locate a vein before inserting the needle. As the nurse moved the needle around inside the left arm, the Plaintiff felt a sharp pain move down her arm. The nurse could not locate a vein in either of the Plaintiff’s arms and the Plaintiff ended up in such severe pain such that she could not lift her affected arm and nor could she attend work or classes. The Plaintiff’s injuries did not resolve and she has ongoing nerve damage to her arm.
The Plaintiff claimed that the blood test in question was negligently performed based on expert evidence obtained from a nurse specialising in vascular access. The case settled following a successful mediation for a substantial sum, together with the Plaintiff’s costs.
If you require further information or advice from our specialist medical negligence team, please contact Clare Flavin on 01-9123240 or clare.flavin@listonflavin.ie.