DistantNews
Support us
UHW apologises after man dies from reaction to antibiotic
🇮🇪 Ireland /Health & Science

UHW apologises after man dies from reaction to antibiotic

From RTÉ News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • An inquest returned a verdict of medical misadventure in the death of Nicholas Kennedy, 43, due to an allergic reaction to an antibiotic.
  • Kennedy's partner informed medical staff of a suspected allergy, but he was administered the same antibiotic again, leading to severe brain damage and death.
  • University Hospital Waterford's Chief Executive apologized to the family, acknowledging that a non-penicillin-based antibiotic should have been used.

University Hospital Waterford (UHW) has apologized after an inquest found that Nicholas Kennedy, 43, died due to medical misadventure following an allergic reaction to an antibiotic.

We should have administered a non-penicillin-based antibiotic.

— Ben O'SullivanChief Executive of University Hospital Waterford, apologizing for the medical error.

The inquest at Waterford Courthouse heard that Kennedy was admitted to UHW on Christmas Eve 2023 and died six days later in the intensive care unit. His partner, Bernadette Buckley, had informed medical staff, including paramedics, a triage nurse, and the on-call doctor, Dr. Mohammed Kadir, that she suspected Kennedy was having an allergic reaction to the antibiotic Augmentin.

Despite these warnings, Kennedy was administered the same antibiotic again. His partner described how a nurse administered a syringe into his cannula without explanation. Shortly after, Kennedy experienced a severe seizure, never regained consciousness, and died from anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, according to the post-mortem report.

She (the nurse) didn't say anything, she didn't acknowledge us. She inserted a syringe into his cannula, and when it was 90% empty, Nicky suddenly asked, 'What's in that?' Then a few moments later, he said, 'I have a horrible taste in my mouth' before having a seizure that was much more violent than the first one.

— Bernadette BuckleyNicholas Kennedy's partner describing the moments before he suffered a fatal seizure.

Kathleen Kennedy, his mother, described her son as "a tall, strong man in the prime of his life," a father of three young children who worked full-time on his family's farm. She stated the family is "completely devastated" by his sudden death, with Christmas being particularly difficult.

a tall, strong man in the prime of his life

— Kathleen KennedyNicholas Kennedy's mother describing her son.

Ben O'Sullivan, the Chief Executive of UHW, issued a written apology on June 10, 2026, stating, "We should have administered a non-penicillin-based antibiotic." He added that several recommendations have been made following the incident. The inquest heard that Kennedy had initially visited his GP on December 23, 2023, with flu-like symptoms and was prescribed steroids, a cough bottle, and Augmentin. His first seizure occurred about an hour after taking the antibiotic.

completely devastated

— Kathleen KennedyNicholas Kennedy's mother expressing the family's grief over his death.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by RTÉ News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog