'Senseless waste of life': Young man died after allergic reaction
A 24-year-old man died after suffering a fatal allergic reaction to a meal served at a mental health respite facility. A coroner's report found that a nurse inadvertently used an ingredient containing peanuts, despite the patient's known allergy.
Why it matters
The incident raises serious concerns regarding safety protocols and duty of care within community mental health services.
About 6.45pm, Riley Brown sat down for dinner. <b>By Sam Sherwood of </b><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/community/1277583/young-man-died-after-allergic-reaction-to-meal-at-mental-health-facility"><b>RNZ</b></a> That morning, the 24-year-old had been re-admitted to a community mental health respite service. During an admission less than a week earlier, he was recorded as allergic to peanuts. Less than 30 minutes after eating the stir-fry, Brown began to feel unwell. He went outside and vomited, before returning and asking for an EpiPen, telling a nurse he was having an allergic reaction. Emergency services were called, with three ambulances attending the scene. Tragically, Brown died outside the facility, despite the efforts from paramedics. RNZ earlier revealed a review was underway into Brown's death. Fourteen months on, coroner Meenal Duggal said several matters "tragically aligned" to result in Riley's death, including a nurse "inadvertently" using a curry paste that was labelled as potentially containing peanuts to prepare the dinner he ate.
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