Extremadura health administration held liable for patient paraplegia

The Legal Commission of Extremadura has ruled that the regional health administration holds patrimonial responsibility for the medical care provided to a patient who suffered paraplegia following an epidural hematoma.

The incident occurred in September 2023 after the patient underwent a lumbar puncture to rule out meningitis. While the procedure itself was deemed indicated and not considered malpractice, a failure in communication led to severe consequences. Following the procedure, the patient exhibited neurological symptoms that were noted by a nurse but not communicated to the physician on duty.

This delay of approximately five hours prevented the necessary surgical intervention from occurring within the critical eight-hour window required for spinal decompression. The Commission concluded that there were sufficient clinical reasons to alert the internist immediately, and had the communication occurred, the surgery could have been performed much earlier.