UF Shands Admits Guilt in 3-yr-old's Death
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If an apology would be forthcoming when a hospital does wrong- I'd have less business. And that would be okay because it's the right thing for a hospital to do.
When UF Shands gave medication to a 3-year-old that was ten times stronger that what was originally prescribed, the boy died. This happened October 10, 2007.
Instead of running for cover, getting their ducks in a row, hiring lawyers and planning for protracted litigation as usually happens, Shands at UF Medical Center did something very different. It admitted guilt and apologized.
3-year old Sebastian Ferrero was undergoing a routine test to find out why his growth was below average.
Doctors ordered 5.75 grams of the amino acid arginine. Shands Medical Outpatient Pharmacy gave him more than 60 grams.
"We take full responsibility for Sebastian's death," said Dr. Donald Novak, vice chairman of clinical affairs for the UF College of Medicine department of pediatrics. "We are very, very sorry."
As unfortunate as this situation is, the boy began to show signs of a problem when he got the medication through a catheter. A doctor examined him, and continued the procedure. Turns out another boy was also overdosed with arginine in August, but his mother took him off the table when he first started writhing in pain. That boy survived.
The Ferraro family has already received a settlement. A pharmacist and nurse involved have been placed on administrative leave. A moratorium on all infusion procedures is in place, until the institution can figure out what safety precautions failed.
Speaking through a spokesperson, the Gainesville Sun reports:
A spokesman for the family told The Gainesville Sun that the boys parents "are appreciative of the fact that Shands and the University of Florida have taken the high road in this case," Luis Diaz said Thursday.
"Their concern now is that all the necessary steps are taken so that this can never happen to someone else's child."
Sometimes when you've failed to do your job, all you can do is apologize. That goes a long way with most people who have been wronged, but, it doesn't happen often.
For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.