Legal•Info

Family in Idaho Files a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit After Their 7-Month Child Dies

Posted: Friday, September 2nd, 2016 at 12:16 am

An Idaho family is suing a nurse and the hospital he works for after their 7-month old baby died under the nurse’s care. August Elliott, son of Chance Elliott and Tiffany Elliot, died after he was given the wrong medication while at Saint Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls, Idaho. Both the parents filed the medical malpractice case in August of 2016. August Elliott was brought to the medical center in September 2015 because of an elevated heart rate. He was prescribed a heart medication and IV saline solution. However, the nurse, Jeffery Smith, accidentally gave the baby an adult dose of potassium which was intended for another patient. Potassium in higher quantities and can be a deadly for infants.

According to the family’s attorney, “A short time later, while in his father’s arms, August began arching his back and his eyes rolled back in his head. He was struggling and all his muscles became rigid,” Hospital personnel tried to revive the baby but were unsuccessful and pronounced him dead from a potassium overdose a few hours later

The family’s attorneys argued that the nurse was negligent and that the hospital didn’t provide enough training to its nurses to prevent said negligence.

The prosecutor’s office in Twin Falls County has not yet filed criminal charges against the nurse. The family has asked for more than $75, 000 in damages. St. Luke’s hospital has made changes to its training and procedures to avoid such deaths in future. The case is currently in progress and the attorneys of Smith, Aya Healthcare, and Elliott family are not yet available for further comments.

 

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