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Doctor guilty of fatal injection | Doctor guilty of fatal injection |
(10 minutes later) | |
A doctor has been found guilty of killing a patient by giving her a fatal injection of adrenalin against the advice of three colleagues. | A doctor has been found guilty of killing a patient by giving her a fatal injection of adrenalin against the advice of three colleagues. |
Patricia Leighton, 51, had been taken into Staffordshire District General Hospital suffering from septic shock. She died there in July 1998. | Patricia Leighton, 51, had been taken into Staffordshire District General Hospital suffering from septic shock. She died there in July 1998. |
Dr Priya Ramnath, 40, had denied manslaughter by gross negligence. | Dr Priya Ramnath, 40, had denied manslaughter by gross negligence. |
The doctor had previously declined to give evidence at the trial at Birmingham Crown Court. | The doctor had previously declined to give evidence at the trial at Birmingham Crown Court. |
The four-week hearing was previously told by Ramnath's colleague Dr Doris Ng that she was "horrified" Ramnath had given the injection. | The four-week hearing was previously told by Ramnath's colleague Dr Doris Ng that she was "horrified" Ramnath had given the injection. |
Dr Ng said that she believed the drug should only be given to someone suffering a heart attack. | Dr Ng said that she believed the drug should only be given to someone suffering a heart attack. |
Side-effects | |
Mrs Leighton, from Burntwood, Staffordshire, had rheumatoid arthritis and an infected bunion and was admitted to hospital in Cannock on 20 July 1998. | Mrs Leighton, from Burntwood, Staffordshire, had rheumatoid arthritis and an infected bunion and was admitted to hospital in Cannock on 20 July 1998. |
She suffered side-effects to antibiotics and was transferred to the intensive care unit in Stafford with septic shock. | |
Patricia Leighton died at the hospital in July 1998 | |
It was there that Ramnath gave her adrenaline, she said, in an effort to raise Mrs Leighton's blood pressure. | |
The court was told during the trial how Ramnath had returned from the US to face trial back in England. | |
Michael Burrows, prosecuting, described in his opening statements to the trial how, within moments of receiving the jab, Mrs Leighton had "jerked forward and sat bolt upright in her bed". | |
He said she had shouted out, "What's happening to me? I am going to die". | |
Shortly afterwards, Mrs Leighton lost consciousness and her heart stopped. | |
Ramnath and other colleagues tried to resuscitate Mrs Leighton but failed. |