An error by the Outaouais Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSSO) contributed to the death of a 28-year-old young man. He was reportedly given five times the dose recommended by the emergency doctor. This emerges from the report by coroner Francine Danais.
The victim, Benoît Lauzon, arrived by ambulance at Hull Hospital Emergency Department on the evening of November 2, 2021 due to breathing difficulties. He was then diagnosed with sepsis secondary to pneumonia.
He is given intravenous antibiotics but responds poorly and has convulsions. In addition to epilepsy, Benoît also suffered from Down syndrome and intellectual disability; A condition that, according to the coroner, did not allow him to communicate his discomfort.
On the morning of November 4th, the emergency doctor prescribed 1 mg of Ativan, a central nervous system depressant, because he was restless. Ultimately, he is accidentally given 5 mg. Benoît’s condition is rapidly deteriorating.
The young man suffers from shortness of breath, his heart rate increases and he falls into a coma. Benoît Lauzon died a few hours later.
Without concluding that this was the only cause, the coroner concluded in his report that the overdose administered to him contributed to his death.