It is only human nature to care and attend to the needs of an infant. In today’s modern society, this basic philosophy of nursing hasn’t changed despite improvements in technology and advancements in medicine – we humans still prioritize the needs of a child.
So it came with great sadness when the state heard of the tragic news of a premature infant who died in a medical malpractice case involving his in-home nurse. The nurse is charged with child endangerment and an emotional preliminary hearing was held recently.
According to the criminal complaint which cited negligence, the 42-year-old nurse was caring for the 7-month-old baby at the infant’s home when the child began to experience breathing problems. Despite multiple alarms that sounded off, the nurse failed to provide the necessary medical aid. The baby was on a ventilator and died after suffering an interruption in the flow of oxygen.
The preliminary hearing in nearby North Union District Court saw the father stating his emotional testimony that we was awaken by a relative and informed of the problem. When he got to the boy’s room, the ventilator was disconnected and the nurse was already performing CPR on the child who he described as already blue in color when he arrived.
The mother also testified that the CPR was administered while the child was on his crib and that she had to take over from the nurse, lay the child on the floor and perform CPR herself.
The nurse contends that the alarms did not do its job of alerting her of the boy’s condition. A representative from the ventilator’s manufacturer testified with a printout that shows the alarms did go off audibly multiple times during that night. The machine has an audio pause mechanism or button that briefly silences the alarm if the problem was resolved.
This is truly an unfortunate and saddening incident. Tragic can’t even begin to describe the unimaginable loss suffered by the parents of a child who should be alive today to experience life. Punitive damages, financial compensation and criminal penalties could be awarded to victims who are encouraged to discuss possible claims with a trusted legal professional.
So it came with great sadness when the state heard of the tragic news of a premature infant who died in a medical malpractice case involving his in-home nurse. The nurse is charged with child endangerment and an emotional preliminary hearing was held recently.
According to the criminal complaint which cited negligence, the 42-year-old nurse was caring for the 7-month-old baby at the infant’s home when the child began to experience breathing problems. Despite multiple alarms that sounded off, the nurse failed to provide the necessary medical aid. The baby was on a ventilator and died after suffering an interruption in the flow of oxygen.
The preliminary hearing in nearby North Union District Court saw the father stating his emotional testimony that we was awaken by a relative and informed of the problem. When he got to the boy’s room, the ventilator was disconnected and the nurse was already performing CPR on the child who he described as already blue in color when he arrived.
The mother also testified that the CPR was administered while the child was on his crib and that she had to take over from the nurse, lay the child on the floor and perform CPR herself.
The nurse contends that the alarms did not do its job of alerting her of the boy’s condition. A representative from the ventilator’s manufacturer testified with a printout that shows the alarms did go off audibly multiple times during that night. The machine has an audio pause mechanism or button that briefly silences the alarm if the problem was resolved.
This is truly an unfortunate and saddening incident. Tragic can’t even begin to describe the unimaginable loss suffered by the parents of a child who should be alive today to experience life. Punitive damages, financial compensation and criminal penalties could be awarded to victims who are encouraged to discuss possible claims with a trusted legal professional.
Keywords: medical malpractice case, flow of oxygen, financial compensation, punitive damages, trusted legal professional
About The Author
Victor Dela Casa
is a Filipino-Canadian who spent over a decade working as a business
professional in Canada. Worked in IT, finance, marketing, international
trade, public service, project management and the maritime industry.
Earned degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines and
Business Administration Honours from Eastern College. Currently based in
the Philippines and working as a professional writer for a
multi-national business processes firm.
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