Record Settlement for Couple Whose Baby Died From Wrong IV Dose

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital has agreed to pay $ 8.25 million to settle a wrongful death suit brought by the parents of an infant who died as a result of errors committed by the hospital’s staff, the Chicago Tribune Reports. The settlement is the largest of its type in state history, according to the couple’s attorneys.

In 2010, Fritzie Burkett gave birth to her son, Genesis, four months premature. The Burketts placed the boy in the hospital’s care, where he remained for the next six weeks. Then, on Oct. 15, Genesis suddenly died following a heart operation that had taken place without any complications.

After an investigation, the hospital determined that a pharmacy technician entered incorrect information while processing an IV bag for the boy. The resulting IV carried a dose of sodium chloride far too large for an infant.

The error could have been detected by an automated alert feature in the IV compounding machine, but the feature was not activated at the time. A blood test taken from the infant showed abnormally high levels of sodium chloride, but the lab technician attributed the high levels to inaccurate results.

After the infant’s death, the Burketts filed a wrongful death suit against the hospital. A wrongful death suit is brought by the family members of a person who was killed as a result of the negligence or misconduct of another individual or entity. Family members of individuals who died due to medical malpractice, an airplane or car accident, or occupational hazards often bring wrongful death suits against the parties responsible.

The Burkett’s attorney said that the couple was “grateful the hospital recognized their significant loss,” the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Advocate Lutheran General Hospital has since activated the alerts for its IV compounding units and implemented “double check” policies. Hopefully, those measures are enough to prevent another tragedy.

Related Resources:

Find a Chicago Personal Injury Law Attorney (FindLaw)

Baby’s Death Yields Record Settlement of $ 8.25 Million (Fox News)

Genesis Burkett’s Parents Sue Park Ridge Hospital For Medical Malpractice (FindLaw’s Chicago Personal Injury Law Blog)

The Chicago Personal Injury Law Blog

View this post on my blog: http://onlinefindlawyers.com/find-lawyers/record-settlement-for-couple-whose-baby-died-from-wrong-iv-dose-2.html