It is a staggering case: the death of a mother and her newborn in Cologne has caused many people to worry. The 28-year-old had taken a glucose, which had been produced in the Cologne Heilig-Geist pharmacy in the district Longerich.
The prosecutor investigates in the case because of a homicidal offense against unknown. An overview of the most important questions.
What happened?
According to criminal director Andreas Koch, last Thursday, a gynecologist reported to the police after two glucose tests. First, a patient had stopped the test in his practice because the remedy had not tasted sweet as expected. She came to a hospital for a night's observation, according to the prosecution. The investigators do not provide any details about their state of health.
On the other hand, another pregnant woman drank the glucose mixture and then had to be taken to hospital for serious complications. Your child was born by emergency Caesarean section. But neither the 28-year-old mother nor the baby could be saved. The cause of death of the woman was, according to autopsy, multiple organ failure.
Both women had bought the test in the Heilig-Geist-Apotheke in Cologne district Longerich and brought to the doctor's office. After the incidents became known, investigators made the container of the glucose solution safe. On Monday afternoon, an investigation revealed that it contained a toxic substance.
Why did the investigators go public?
Thus, possible buyers of the glucose mixture should be warned, because it is not yet known if there are still doses of the poisoned substance in circulation. Patients who have glucose-containing drugs from this pharmacy should immediately hand them over to the nearest police station. So far, however, according to police, no other victims have reported. According to official information, there is no documentation requirement for the substance. For the time being, the city has forbidden the Heilig-Geist-Apotheke to sell self-produced medicines. There is no evidence that the substance has already been contaminated by the manufacturer.
What is the status of the investigation?
The public prosecutor's office has begun investigations into the suspicion of a homicidal crime, said Attorney General Ulrich Bremer, spokesman for the Cologne public prosecutor. It was completely open at the time, whether the contamination was deliberate or negligent.
In this case, 35 investigators are deployed. Currently, all current and former employees of the pharmacy are being heard.
Federico Gambarini / DPA
Andreas Koch, Head of the Police Inspectorate I: Did the contamination happen negligently or intentionally?
What is the toxic substance?
About the substance, the investigators make no statements in order not to reveal possible perpetrator knowledge. If someone confesses that "something went wrong" when mixing, you can check with a request whether the information is correct.
Why did the pregnant women take the glucose solution?
The solution containing glucose (glucose) had been sold for a standard test for gestational diabetes, according to the police. Such a test must be offered according to the maternity policy of each woman between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy to detect an unnoticed diabetes as early as possible and to prevent complications. The costs are borne by the health insurance companies.
This is a two-step procedure: In the so-called glucose tolerance test, the pregnant woman first drinks a sugar solution. In the blood afterwards the height of the blood sugar is determined. If this remains below the value of 135 milligrams of glucose per deciliter (mg / dl), the investigation is complete. If the measurement exceeds this limit, a further, somewhat more expensive sugar test is carried out. Only this can confirm whether the woman actually suffers from gestational diabetes.
Do pregnant women who did such a diabetes test have to worry now?
According to the current state of investigation, it appears that only medicines produced in the Heilig-Geist-Apotheke in Cologne-Longerich are affected. The police and the city had expressly warned on Monday evening that they were taking glucose supplements that were put together in this pharmacy.
Basically, the intake of a glucose solution during pregnancy is absolutely harmless. The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) recommends it to all pregnant women to prevent complications from gestational diabetes.
Why was this solution mixed in a pharmacy?
This is one of the standard manufacturing processes. Although there are also commercial finished solutions. However, from the point of view of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, these are considered uneconomic in the first test. Therefore, pharmacies often mix the glucose solutions themselves, or they provide the doctor with glucose powder, which is weighed in practice and mixed with water.