Parents awarded $8.25 million in infant's death


By Cynthia Dizikes
Tribune reporter
12:08 PM CDT, April 5, 2012


A Chicago area hospital has agreed to pay $8.25 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the parents of an infant boy who died at the institution after a series of medical errors.

The settlement between Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and Fritzie and Cameron Burkett of Chicago was approved this morning by Cook County Judge Clare McWilliams.

“This unfortunate loss to a wonderful couple like the Burketts could have been avoided,” their attorney, Patrick Salvi, said in a statement.

Salvi noted, however, that the hospital looked into the death promptly and then changed its policies following an investigation to try to avoid similar problems.

“This event has only heightened our focus on patient care,” hospital spokesman Greg Alford said in a statement. “We have taken comprehensive steps across Advocate to ensure this type of tragedy does not happen again.”

Fritzie Burkett gave birth to son Genesis four months premature in 2010 and stayed by his side with her husband, Cameron, for about the next six weeks while boy remained in the hospital’s care.

But then on Oct. 15, Genesis suddenly died after coming out of a heart operation without any clear complications.

The hospital determined that a pharmacy technician had entered information incorrectly when processing an electronic IV order for the baby, resulting in a massive sodium chloride overdose in the solution.

The problem would have been identified by automated alerts in the IV compounding machine, but those were not activated when the customized bag was prepared for the baby.

Advocate also found that the outermost label on the IV bag administered to the baby didn’t reflect its actual contents. And while a blood test on the infant had shown abnormally high sodium levels, a lab technician assumed the reading was inaccurate.

Since last year, the staff has activated alerts for similar IV compounders used in the system’s hospitals and strengthened “double check” policies for all medications leaving pharmacies, among other measures.

Please read complete article at link below:


http://www.wgntv.com/news/local/breaking/chi-parents-awarded-825-million-in-infants-death-20120405,0,6899222.story