Family accuse nurse of failing young woman who died due to side effects of the pill
- Jan 21, 2016
- EmmaArnold
A young woman died from a blood clot caused by the side effects of her contraceptive pill which were not effectively treated.
Fallan Kurek was 21 when she died from a massive pulmonary embolism after being assessed by a nurse when she complained of chest pains and feeling breathless.
She then collapsed at her home and went into cardiac arrest three days after seeing the nurse who diagnosed her pain as muscular, advising Fallan to rest and take pain killers.
Her family explained how Fallan had mentioned to the nurse that she was taking the contraceptive pill but this wasn't followed up.
Hannah Bottomley, clinical negligence solicitor at PotterReesDolan, said:
I was deeply saddened to read about the death of Fallan Kurek from a pulmonary embolism, a medical condition associated with a risk of taking the contraceptive pill. It would appear that the Inquest investigating Ms Kurek’s death found that she had likely developed a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) a known risk of the contraceptive pill.
I found it interesting to read that Fallan’s GP had previously assessed her as being low risk in relation to the contraceptive pill, and whilst there was a dispute over whether or not Fallan had mentioned that she was taking the pill to the nurse who assessed her in the minor injuries unit, this tragic case unfortunately shows how significant and life-threatening complications can occur even in people who are considered to be low risk.
Here at PotterReesDolan we often deal with the tragic complications associated with known risks of treatment and medication and we know from our experience how vital it is that those risks are recognised and treated promptly and properly to try and ensure the best outcome.