A family of three insisted on seeking justice for their deceased child.
Nanshan Hospital announced the investigation results of the premature infant death incident -
The baby had sepsis before receiving a blood transfusion
Report by our reporter Qiu Rihong (with photos) - Three weeks after giving birth at the age of 38, the baby died from sepsis. The family suspected that the sepsis was related to the hospital's blood transfusion for the child. Yesterday, Nanshan Hospital informed our newspaper of the results of a week-long investigation: According to the hospital's investigation and confirmation of multiple involved doctors and relevant leaders, the baby had sepsis before the blood transfusion. Ms. Wei, the mother, found it hard to accept this result yesterday.
Hospital Investigation:
Sepsis symptoms appeared before the blood transfusion
Yesteray, Feng Li, the director in charge of administration at Nanshan Hospital, informed the reporter of the hospital's investigation results of the incident. Feng Li said that on July 7, after Ms. Wei gave birth prematurely, the family was immediately informed that the child had multiple diseases or complications, including anemia in premature infants and hypoglycemia. "These conditions were already informed to the family upon admission, and the family signed to indicate their knowledge."
Feng Li stated that when the baby was admitted, he showed poor mental response, rapid breathing, foaming at the mouth, groaning, and other signs of respiratory distress. After several days of treatment, on July 10, the respiratory distress improved, the ventilator was stopped, and artificial breastfeeding was given. On July 22, a routine blood test showed hemoglobin at 99g/L and increased biochemical blood sugar. At 10 o'clock in the morning that day, the hospital suggested a blood transfusion, and the family agreed. At 8:30 AM on July 23, the patient began to show poor mental response, decreased appetite, coffee-ground-like material in the nasogastric tube, pallor, and abdominal distension. "These are all symptoms of neonatal sepsis," Feng Li said. After 10 o'clock that day, the patient began to experience fever, repeated apnea, gastrointestinal bleeding, pulmonary hemorrhage, respiratory failure, abnormal coagulation function, and so on. At 8:50 PM that evening, the doctor put the patient back on a ventilator, transfused plasma, and gave a blood transfusion. The patient eventually died on July 30 due to ineffective treatment for sepsis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and multiple organ failure.
Why was sepsis suddenly discovered on the 23rd? The survey results shown by Feng Li explained that premature infants differ from adults and also differ from full-term newborns as their own development and resistance are very poor. After the baby was hospitalized, the doctor administered antibiotics (amoxicillin-sulbactam sodium) for 14 days to prevent sepsis. During this period, two blood cultures were negative, and white blood cells were normal, indicating that the infection prevention measures were effective. Amoxicillin-sulbactam sodium was discontinued on July 20, and on July 23, the baby again exhibited symptoms of neonatal sepsis, so "Rocephin" (antibiotics) was added for anti-infection treatment.
Hospital Suggests Family Apply for Medical Malpractice Appraisal
The hospital's investigation report believed that through self-inspection, the medical actions taken by the hospital in the diagnosis and treatment of the baby's disease complied with diagnostic standards, and there were no mistakes. Meanwhile, before conducting medical procedures, multiple informed consent forms were submitted for the patient's family to review and sign, so there was no issue of "forced blood transfusion." The investigation report stated that if the patient's family is dissatisfied with the reply, they can apply to the Medical Malpractice Appraisal Committee of the Municipal Medical Association for medical malpractice appraisal, file a complaint with the Nanshan District Health Bureau, or initiate litigation in the Nanshan District People's Court.
Family:
Claims 100,000 yuan compensation from the hospital
Regarding the hospital's response, Ms. Wei, the mother, found it difficult to accept. Regarding the statement that "the baby had sepsis before the blood transfusion," Ms. Wei claimed this was the most unacceptable privately altered statement. She indicated that although objectively the family did indeed sign multiple consent forms, throughout the entire treatment process, the hospital did not truthfully inform the family of the child's condition each time. Many situations were only known to the family after seeing the hospital's response given to the reporters. For example, on the second day after the child was born (July 8), the hospital tested the child's blood calcium and supplemented calcium, on July 23 at 8:30 AM, the child showed poor mental response, decreased appetite, worsened pallor, and abdominal distension, considering neonatal sepsis, etc., these situations they previously did not know about, instead assuming the child's condition was improving. Ms. Wei stated that until 9 o'clock in the morning on the 23rd, her husband at the hospital didn't hear any bad news from the attending doctor, and only received a phone call notification after 2:00 PM.
Yesterday, Ms. Wei and the head of the Medical Department of Nanshan Hospital had a face-to-face explanation regarding the doubts about the accident, and she requested the hospital to refund more than 20,000 yuan in medical fees and compensate 100,000 yuan.