Suphan Buri hospital admits baby injection error
Dan Chang Hospital in Suphan Buri said today, April 2, that an injection error occurred after a one month old baby was given an allergy injection intended for a nine month old child. Officials are investigating the facts of the case.
The incident drew wider attention after the baby’s father posted on Facebook, saying a doctor told the family their child had been given the wrong injection.
In the post, he claimed the drug was an adult medication that should not be given to children, warning it could be an overdose and may cause slower breathing, prolonged sleep with difficulty waking, and, in severe cases, sudden cardiac arrest and death.
Dan Chang Hospital director Itsawon Duangjinda said the hospital confirmed the error on its official Facebook page.
He said the drug involved was chlorpheniramine, an antihistamine commonly used to relieve allergy symptoms, and that it had been prepared for a nine month old child in a nearby bed. However, a mistake in patient identification led to a nurse administering it to the one month old baby instead.
Paediatricians and specialists reportedly monitored the infant from the afternoon of April 1 through the night and found no physical effects.
According to Itsawon, the medicine’s pharmacological effect typically lasts about four to six hours. Once the monitoring period passed, no abnormal symptoms or dangerous side effects were found.
The hospital had acknowledged the mistake and would apply its quality controls to prevent it from happening again.
Itsawon said compensation would depend on whether the baby suffered any physical harm. As doctors had not found any damage, he said the hospital was focusing on treatment and close monitoring.
The family, however, said they did not receive an apology. Itsawon said staff had apologised, but because the baby was being treated in the nursery and the parents were not with the child at all times, they may not have received it directly.
He added that, based on initial information, the family had not filed a lawsuit.
Today, Khaosod reporters spoke with the mother, who said that on the afternoon of April 1, her one month old baby was in a hospital bed being treated for a lung infection.
While she was feeding the child, she said a nurse injected medication into the saline drip, after which the baby fell asleep and lay unusually still.
A short time later, she said the head nurse returned to check the medication and called a doctor, who told her the wrong drug had been given and that it was intended for an older patient.
The mother said staff normally ask a patient’s name before giving medication, but she said that did not happen. She added that the child is now under close medical observation by doctors 24 hours a day.
The father said the hospital had contacted the family and told them staff would meet with them to discuss what happened and a possible remedy. He also asked the media to follow the case and ensure the family is treated fairly.
Elsewhere, a hospital mistake left a father devastated after discovering his newborn daughter had been switched with another baby. The hospital has admitted to the mistake, corrected its actions and has since scheduled a meeting to discuss compensation for the families involved.
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