Lawsuit Filed for Medical Malpractice in Baby’s Death at Chicago Hospital

A medical-malpractice lawsuit was filed on Tuesday by a Chicago couple who are blaming Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge for the death of their 6-week-old son. The parents are claiming that the hospital’s staff negligently administered an intravenous bag containing approximately 60 times the dose of sodium ordered by the physician.

According to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court, the newborn died on October 15, 2010, one month and nine days after he was born prematurely at Lutheran General.  The lawsuit states that the baby was making good progress at the hospital until a pharmacy technician incorrectly filled a doctor’s order for the IV fluid.

The bag initially was labeled correctly, noting the high level of sodium it contained, but at some point before a nurse administered it, a second label was placed over the first label. The nurse was unaware of the fatal dose, because the correct amount of sodium was only shown on the label which had been covered.

An Advocate Healthcare spokesperson acknowledged an “error.”
“A hospital error led to the incorrect concentration of sodium in the neonate’s IV solution,”. “Our prayers continue to be with the family.”

The parents are devastated by the death of their child. They had had a couple of failed pregnancies that ended in miscarriages in the early months, but this child had progressed well, and was expected to live a normal life.

According to studies, 96,000 deaths per year occur because of medical negligence.
Thousands more are injured.
Should you, a loved one, or friend, have suffered an injury or death that you believe resulted from medical negligence,  the medical malpractice attorneys at Lipkin & Higgins can help investigate your case, file suit where appropriate, and help you obtain fair and reasonable compensation for your injuries.