Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1927-03-03 | Page 1 | Nurse's Error Causes Death of Five Babes

I NURSES NURSE'S ERROR CAUSES DEATH OF FIVE BABES Boric Acid Given In Place of Water Vater In Chicago j Hospital S v CHICAGO March 3 By 3 By The Associated A Iress Press A nurses nurse's error to In mistaking a bottle botti of mild mill an- an an antiseptic ts lotion for tor distilled drink drInk- drInkIng drinking ing water was blamed today by staff doctors at Columbus MemorIal Memorial ial lal hospital for the tho deaths death of ot five baby girls ciria the eldest Idest of them only two weeks old All AU five Infants died within the space of ot a few hours In convulsions at first attributed to an epi- epi epidemic epi epidemic demic of o Influenza while theIr mothers lay convalescing convalescing- In Inan Inan laan an adjoining ward The rho sudden su Illness and almost simultaneous deaths of the babies yesterday led to a a report ani Health Commissioner Bundesen promptly joined In an Investigation tion which ended In agreement that an accidental administration of boric acid solution probably was w to blame MILl MILD SOLUTION Because o of ot tho the mildness of the solution which Is widely used In homes and generally belIeved to tot t ho e entirely safe some Bome doubt was expressed that would It l prove fatal tatal In one Internal dose but tho doctors said ald It could cause death In the tho theca case o ot od Infants By Dy upsetting the ratio of acid add and anti alkali In the body they explained the th antiseptic tic could result In high temper temper- temperature temperature temperature malnutrition and pneumonia ia rI r NURSES INVOLVED rD Five nurses assigned to the ward were Involved In tho the investIgation to find which one on administered the tho solution 9 used u d as an eye wash for tor forthe the babies and not readily dis from water Pending completion of tho Inquiry coroner Wolff ordered lIu suspension of ot all funeral arrangements