– We have instituted supervision against two doctors. It became correct when we saw the case and the records. That’s what supervision coordinator Ida Brenne Østhus says at the State Administrator. Three women with dementia suffered serious side effects from tablets given at Namso’s health center in Trøndelag. news has previously reported that the State Administrator has opened an inspection of Namsos municipality, following reports of concern from three husbands. Now the State Administrator will take a closer look at how two of the doctors followed up the use of antipsychotics. The use of such tablets is very restrictive. They should only be used to calm down patients with Alzheimer’s if they have severe anxiety or psychosis and are a danger to themselves or others. Everything else must be tried first. It is stated in national guidelines. The three husbands believe there was no basis for giving antipsychotics. They all say that their wives are much better without such tablets. Spokesperson for three husbands, Helge Foosnæs on his way out of Namso’s health center with his wife Bente. He discovered himself which tablets his wife was taking. Photo: Rita Kleven Examining tablet use There were a total of four doctors who prescribed Risperdal and other types of antipsychotics to the three women at Namso’s health center in 2021 and 2022. None of the doctors told news they wanted to comment on individual patients. The two doctors have now been asked to answer several questions about what was the basis for the use of the tablets and what observations were made by the patients along the way. – We basically want to see events from a systemic perspective, but when it comes to requisitioning medicines, it is also a separate responsibility for the doctor, says case manager Ida Brenne Østhus. Supervision coordinator Ida Brenne Østhus at the State Administrator in Trøndelag is in the process of supervising two doctors. The use of tablets given to three women with dementia is being scrutinized more closely. Photo: Jøte Toftaker / news Long-term use of the tablets Two of the women quickly developed a crooked back and broke their necks. They could not lift their heads. They were both given a type of antipsychotic called Risperdal. Helge Foosnæs himself discovered that his wife Bente was taking antipsychotics and was able to stop using them after four months last year. She had developed uncontrolled facial movements, blisters, peeling skin and a swollen tongue. He believes there was no reason whatsoever to give antipsychotics. – There is no indication for such treatment, he says. The three women at Namso’s health center received antipsychotics for 4, 6 and 10 months in a row. Studies have shown persistent use of this type of drug over time in nursing homes in Norway, even if the use is only for a short time and up to six weeks. It is stated in national advice and confirmed by the manufacturer of the medicine. Glad that the case is being taken seriously. Another of the husbands took pictures and filmed what happened to his wife. She received the tablets for ten months in a row, and became straight in the back when the use stopped. It was another doctor at the nursing home who intervened and had the use stopped. The husband says he appreciates that the State Administrator has opened an inspection and is taking the matter seriously. – I hope the case can set a precedent both for the use of Risperdal and how to handle deviations from the duty to inform relatives, he says. He thought the dementia had escalated, and did not know that a crooked back is a common side effect after using the tablets. After news told about the three women at Namso’s health centre, many relatives across the country got in touch and told similar stories. Many patients with dementia receive antipsychotics Here are some of the cases news has had: These are pictures of the same woman. The pictures show that her back was straight when the use of Risperdal was stopped by another doctor at the nursing home. Photo: Private Hope doctors will be more careful The husband of the third woman at Namso’s health center took his wife to see a neurologist at the hospital. This doctor determined that the most likely cause of the break in her neck was Risperdal. The dose of 1 milligram was given morning and evening for six consecutive months. His wife is still as crooked in her back, and has to take painkillers. Treatment with Botox has not helped. news has told that for many years this woman herself worked precisely to reduce the use of this type of medicine in nursing homes in Trøndelag. The husband believes that it is a strong signal when the State Administrator has chosen to establish supervision over two doctors. – I hope doctors around the country pay attention to this and follow the regulations. We have seen at the nursing home how the use of the tablets has affected my wife, he says. His wife still has a ninety degree crack in her neck. She has still got on as well as she can at the nursing home in Namsos, without the use of the tablets, he says. This is the third woman at Namso’s health center to have a crooked back. She is still just as crooked, even though the use of antipsychotics has been stopped. Photo: Privat It is not the first time that news has reported serious side effects after this type of medicine has been given to people with dementia. In 2013, the family told the well-known dermatologist Ole Fyrand that they were shaken. The trade journal Sykepleien also wrote a few years ago about the same type of tablets. The woman who received antipsychotics was only 52 years old. She lost her language and could not walk or eat by herself.
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The state administrator establishes supervision over two doctors in Namsos – news Trøndelag
