Man (50) died

Nurse charged after death in sleep lab

The university hospital in Salzburg(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

A qualified nurse in Salzburg is facing charges of gross negligence manslaughter. According to the indictment, she failed to monitor the patient (50) for over two hours.

The "Krone" reported on the mysterious death at the end of June 2023: On June 22, 2023, a man (50) came to the sleep laboratory of the pulmonary medicine department of the Salzburg Regional Hospitals (SALK for short) for a diagnostic clarification. The 50-year-old, who had several pre-existing conditions, died unexpectedly on the night of June 23 - despite being monitored by sensors and cameras. It was and still is unclear why the man died.

Self-reporting now followed by charges
Following a self-report by the regional clinics, the public prosecutor's office opened an investigation and also obtained an expert opinion. As it turned out, the man may not have been checked for several hours. The Salzburg public prosecutor's office has brought charges against the qualified nurse who was responsible for the man in question that night, citing her duty of supervision.

He faces up to three years in prison
Despite knowing about the pre-existing conditions, she allegedly failed to check the patient's condition between 3 am and 5 am. According to the indictment, she was therefore grossly negligent in causing the man's death. Threat of punishment if convicted: up to three years in prison. A trial date has not yet been set.