Medical Negligence
A child who is now seven years of age, who as a newborn baby, suffered a chemical-type burn after a wipe was allegedly left in her incubator at the Coombe Women and Infants Hospital when she was born in 2017.
It was claimed that she suffered a burn to her left flank, abdomen, and thigh when the wipe, containing a preparation of 2% chlorhexidine gluconate, was not removed from the incubator. It was claimed that the wipe was in the incubator for nine hours. It was claimed that the wipes are not intended for prolonged exposure to the skin. In this infant’s case, the wipe had been left attached to the infant’s skin for too long. It was also claimed that the wipe had not been used in accordance with the product’s guidelines and advice for such wipes.
The hospital denied all the allegations.
The newborn had been treated with antibiotics for seven days and was later transferred to another hospital for further treatment which included dressings and a Review by a plastic surgeon.
The court was told that the girl’s muscular-skeletal development had not been affected but in the future, she may require scar-releasing surgery when she gets older.
The hospital made a settlement offer to the parents of the child and they were satisfied with the offer of €320,000 which Mr Justice Paul Coffey of the High Court approved of on 9th April 2024.
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