Baby’s fingers fall off after arterial line insertion
Saayman thinks her daughter had to endure terrible pain as she cried every time her hand was treated or touched. At the end of August, the fingers' joints started falling off, one by one: first the two upper joints of the pointing and ring fingers and then that of the pinkie and middle finger. The upper joint of the thumb also fell off
MBOMBELA – The parents of a premature baby had to watch helplessly as two joints of four fingers on their daughter’s left hand fell off one by one after she had received an arterial line at Mediclinic Nelspruit. She lost the upper joint of her thumb too.
What aggravated the parents’ horror even more, was the fact that one of the nursing staff remarked that “luckily it is the left hand and not the right one”.
Lowvelder spoke to Ms Gaynor Saayman (26) yesterday. She was only 28 weeks pregnant with Chloé when she had to be delivered with a C-section on June 3 because Saayman had experienced dangerously high blood pressure. She was only due to be born on Wednesday.
Chloé weighed only 820 grams and was immediately admitted to Mediclinic Nelspruit’s neonatal ICU. A drip was inserted in her right hand. Nursing staff noticed that the finger nails turned blue and the arterial line was removed. The drip was then placed in her left hand and three days later, Saayman noticed that the fingernails had turned blue too.
“I enquired from nursing staff about this, but they assured us that they were monitoring the situation. They said it was normal and that it happened sometimes,” she said. The arterial line was finally removed late that night.
By then a doctor had examined the hand and placed a repair gel on it to restore blood flow. The hand was further wrapped in cotton wool to keep warm which was supposed to restore blood flow even more.
“We couldn’t see her hand unless we asked nursing staff to remove the cotton wool,” Saayman said. The hand turned completely blue before turning a deep reddish colour. “Almost like chilblains,” she added. The hand then turned completely black.
Saayman thinks her daughter had to endure terrible pain as she cried every time her hand was treated or touched. At the end of August, the fingers’ joints started falling off, one by one: first the two upper joints of the pointing and ring fingers and then that of the pinkie and middle finger. The upper joint of the thumb also fell off. “It was like scabs which fell off every time the hand received the slightest bump,” she said.
The mother added that, only on August 7, did a member of the nursing staff ask her how she felt about this and if the hospital could arrange counselling for her. “I am angry. I am sad. What if she is left-handed? She won’t be able to wear an engagement ring one day. My parents have consulted surgeons who said she will only be able to get prosthesis at the age of 16,” Saayman said.
Chloé was discharged on Sunday when she finally weighed in at two kilograms. “I am just thankful she is alive and with us,” Saayman said.
On enquiry, Ms Robyn Baard, spokesman for the hospital, said, “We confirm that the baby was born premature at around 27 weeks gestational age. The baby was immediately admitted to neonatal intensive care for critical care and ventilation under the care of a paediatrician. The treating doctors and nursing staff kept the parents informed about the clinical condition of the baby during her two-month stay in hospital, including detailed discussions regarding complications associated with her prematurity and loss of fingers.
“Mediclinic strongly denies that nursing care led to the unfortunate loss of her fingers. The hospital received no complaints from the parents regarding the nursing care rendered to the baby during her hospitalisation.”
Saayman said that they were in the process of consulting with an attorney, with the intend of submitting a claim.
