Baby’s hand burnt by IV line at Grande hospital

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SHARLENE RAMPERSAD

A 32-year-old Biche woman is contemplating legal action against the Sangre Grande hospital after her two-month-old daughter’s hand was burnt by intravenous (IV) fluids while the child was receiving treatment at the hospital.

Christina Leanna Flores said she took her daughter to the Rio Claro Health Centre last Sunday and she was then transferred to the Sangre Grande Hospital for treatment for an infection in her blood.

In an interview with Guardian Media, Flores said baby Britney is her first child and she was very worried about the child’s condition, so she has not left her side at the hospital.

She said when they got to the hospital, an intravenous access (IV) line was placed on the baby’s right hand so the child could receive medication.

Flores said she could tell almost immediately that something was wrong. She said the child’s fingers began swelling and although she brought it to the attention of doctors and nurses, her complaints were ignored.

“I realise since the Sunday that her hand was swollen and I brought it to one of the paediatric doctors’ attention, and he told me it was normal. He didn’t even open the bandage to check it because her hand was bandaged with the access in it. For a couple of nights while I was feeding her and the doctor came to give her the medication, she would start bawling and screaming,” Flores said.

Despite the baby’s pain, Flores said none of the doctors removed the bandages to check her daughter’s swollen hand.

This continued until Wednesday when a nurse undid the bandages.

Flores said the back of her hand was blistered and appeared to be burnt.

In a photo shared with Guardian Media, the child’s fingers appear to be swollen and there was a large blister on the back of her tiny hand.

“She is my one and only child and when I see that yesterday, I went in the back and started to cry because I was feeling her pain. I am feeling real hurt to see my daughter came in and that happened to her hand,” the distraught mother said.

Now, the new mother is considering legal action.

“I want to see justice for my child and I want legal action to be taken, if I can sue them,” she said.

She said doctors told her they didn’t know what caused the infection and they have not come up with a treatment plan for little Britney’s hand.

“They said it could probably be caused by the access being there too long or the medication they were giving her could have been running out and it caused the infection but they said they will look into later.”

Contacted yesterday, Chief Executive Officer of the Eastern Regional Health Authority Ronald Tsoi-A-Fatt said plastic surgeons have been assigned to repair the baby’s hand.

He said cases of burns from IV accesses are not common but they do occur.

Tsoi-A-Fatt denied any wrongdoing or negligence by the doctors or staff at the hospital.

He said counselling would be provided for Flores.