Dexamethasone Batch Cleared After Probe Into Nursing Student Death at MGMGH

On Monday, the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation announced that a batch of the drug dexamethasone, which was recalled following the death of a 19-year-old nursing student, has been cleared by multiple testing laboratories as being of standard quality. The drug batch was initially pulled from use across the state after three adverse cardiac events occurred at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH).

The deceased nursing student, V Seethalakshmi, died in May after undergoing an elective septoplasty at MGMGH. The septoplasty was a routine surgical procedure intended to correct a deviated nasal septum.

Following Seethalakshmi's death, around 300 nursing students gathered to protest outside the hospital. The large demonstration prompted the state government to order an official inquiry into the incident within hours of the protest.

One week after the student's death, MGMGH Hospital Dean Dr. S. Kumarvel requested a drug analysis from the Directorate of Medical Education and Research. Dr. Kumarvel cited at least three cardiac events that had occurred following the administration of the drug at the hospital.

Dexamethasone is a potent corticosteroid that medical professionals commonly use during surgeries to control inflammation, swelling, and nausea.

To determine the safety of the medicine, the recalled batch underwent testing by several laboratories. These included the state drug testing laboratory, an NABL-affiliated private laboratory, and the central drug testing laboratory.

All of the testing laboratories cleared the dexamethasone batch, finding it to be of standard quality. Following these findings, officials announced that the recalled batch has been deemed safe and can now be used again in medical facilities.

Despite the drug batch being cleared of quality issues by multiple laboratories, the official cause of the 19-year-old nursing student's death remains unknown.