re: Prayers Needed from the OT Community *Update Page 28*

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Yes. The ER doctors cleaned him up the best they could and took my wife and me into the room to say goodbye. I kissed his little head, ran my hand through his hair one last time and told him "I love you my son".

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Jesus Christ.

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If I had known some of the things I know now I could have made important decisions that may have altered this outcome.

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You can't go down that road. You, as a parent, sought out medical care for your sick child. You didn't do ANYTHING wrong. You were being a good parent.

Redstick, I just wanted you to know that a family in Frisco, TX is lifting you and your wife up in our prayers. That’s inadequate. Our heart breaks and we mourn with you. God bless you both.

Red stick, this makes even less sense. Doctor kept emptying the drip chamber onto the floor. Was the chamber filled to to top where he couldn’t see drops falling? Unplugging from the bag and forcing fluid out of the drip chamber generally and usually causes air to enter the line, unless it is clamped off. One can simply turn the bag upside down with the drip chamber still attached and squeeze some of the fluid back into the bag. I’m hoping you take the time to record all of the information as you experienced it. This will be important.

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doctor was removing the drip chamber, dumping the contents on the floor then reconnecting it to allow it to fill again.

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Then they put a pressure sleeve on and left the room. This is too much. Reckless wanton negligence. The appropriate authority needs to inspect this facility and verify credentials ASAP.

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What is the name of this clinic?

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Life Savers ER. I was treated there 2 weeks ago for a late night VRI. I have been in shock since reading this and don't have the words. God Bless you redstick.

I am sorry for your loss man. I have 2 boys and cannot imagine the pain you two are dealing with.

I agree with LSUTigerDoc. Maybe the vomiting guy was hyperglycemic and insulin ordered for him was given to your son? That would be tragic...especially since they hid it from you. I would have your attorney request the chart from that patient.
If this was insulin related, then your son would have become lethargic before arresting. Did that happen? Or was he awake and then just passed out and arrested?

Something else to consider is low sodium/cerebral edema from too much hypotonic fluids given too fast. The medical record that you posted does not jive with the near empty bag in the picture above.

All these questions will be answered by the medical examiner. I can tell you this...if my child was killed like this and it came out that it was the clinic's fault AND they attempted to hide it from me, then I would be in prison.

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As an RN I would say the empty IV bag would have had nothing to do with your son’s passing. My heart is breaking for you.

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They kept having problems getting his IV to flow so they had placed a pressure sleeve on the outside of the IV bag and we're applying pressure to it.

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My heartbreaks reading this.

However, in contrast to what was posted here re: "the empty IV bag having had nothing to do" with the situation, the empty IV bag could have a great deal to do with this. Hopefully not.

IV bags are formulated with air in them . . .




The second image is an antibiotic IV infusion, but it more clearly show the fluid-air line just below the word "Gentamicin".

The reason air is included in the bag is so one can more easily observe the volume of IV solution infused. Once the IV bag has infused and is empty, the air remains in the bag or occasionally in the proximal IV tubing. It does not pass to, or endanger the patient.

However, if the bag is placed under pressure, every bit of that air can be forced through the tubing, and into the patient. It is enough air to result in a lethal air embolism, even in an adult. For that reason, providers should never put one of these bags under pressure (i.e., the sleeve you seemed to describe) without first removing air from the bag. If the air is removed, pressurizing the infusion is safe. In this case, if air was not removed, an empty IV bag still in a pressurized sleeve would be extremely concerning.

I hope for your sake, and for sake of the providers involved that none of the above is applicable. But if it is, I suspect you would want to know.

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1. You saw medications given via his IV that are not accurately documented in the medical record (and you thought that perhaps glucose was given intravenously).

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I think one of the nurses here speculated this might have been a flush for the line. If it was a flush, would it still be recorded on his chart?


Red, you’re still in my family’s thoughts. When the time is right, I know everyone here would be honored to donate towards something in your son’s name. Let us know what we can do to help

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If it was a flush, would it still be recorded on his chart?

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Not necessarily. If you have an IV that is not working properly...not unusual to give a small NS flush to troubleshoot (is the site leaking when you flush, does it start to puff up). In that example...this would let you know the IV has infiltrated and the site is no good and the IV needs to be removed and restarted at another site. And you don't always chart every flush you give. However...on the inpatient side of peds...you are typically required (depending on the hospital) to chart on the IV site every hour if fluids are infusing (every 2 if they are not). This is your proof that you are actually looking at the IV every hour to make sure the site looks ok.

So I would imagine at the clinic the nurse would have had to document somewhere on the IV site on a regular basis. (I hope so considering IV fluids were running and not every patient may need IV fluids).


So it is possible the push could have been a flush and the nurse just didn't say anything. When I was at the bedside I always told the parents everything I was doing to their child ("I just need to flush this IV, this is the med for this, we need blood for labs to look for this, etc). Keeps the parents properly informed, lets them relax a little, and establishes a trust between us.