Wrong medication risks lives of infants

Hyderabad: In a shocking case of medical apathy, wrong medication given to infants at Nampally Urban Health Centre led to the death of one child with three others put on a ventilator for observation for the next 48 hours at the Niloufer hospital. Also, 27 infants are being treated in ICU of Niloufer for breathing-related problems. All these infants are below 4 months of age.

They were brought to the Health Centre on Wednesday for Pentavalent vaccine and after administering the vaccine the medical staff reportedly gave Tramadol tablets (a pain killer and sedative not prescribed for children) mistaking them for Paracetamol. Generally, kids develop high temperature and fever after administered with Pentavalent vaccine and hence parents are given Paracetamol prescription as a precautionery measure. 

Parents are told to give Paracetamol medication only if child gets fever. In all 92 kids were given this vaccine at the Nampally Health Centre of which nearly 30-odd kids were brought to Niloufer hospital. All these kids were given the vaccine before Wednesday afternoon and following the deterioration of health condition nearly 20 children got admitted into Niloufer ICU by Thursday morning.

Because of taking the Tramadol tablet, a two-month-old boy S K Faisal had respiratory failure leading to seizures and later he went into the coma and died. Niloufer Superintendent Dr Muralikrishna said that the boy was brought dead to the hospital in the morning.He added after children are administered Pentavalent vaccine, one-fourth of Paracetamol tablet is prescribed in order to control fever that may arise due to vaccination.

Following the spread of news about wrong medication to infants administered Pentavalent vaccine at Nampally health centre on Wednesday, parents of eight kids brought their children for a check-up and admission in Niloufer ICU by Thursday afternoon.

Sources said staff at Nampally Health Centre committed the blunder unintentionally because of similar packaging for Paracetamol and Tramadol and in confusion they gave Tramadol tablets. While 90-odd kids took this vaccination, nearly 30 kids developed problems and were admitted to Niloufer hospital. The health centre staff had no details of any complications developed for the rest of the kids who took the vaccine. 

Authorities said they were trying to reach out to concerned parents, but no related information was given until Thursday evening. Leaders from different parties, including Jaffer Hussain (MIM MLA), Dr K Laxman, N Ramachander Rao, G Kishan Reddy (BJP) etc. visited the hospital to speak to affected families.Health Minister Eatala Rajender, who was in Huzurabad, visited the hospital after his return in the evening and enquired about the incidents.