Premature Baby Dies from Medication Error

0:00On March 12, a three-week-old premature baby named Sidger Aliabes died at Chelsea in Westminster Hospital after receiving a massive overdose of the wrong medication. Born at 27 weeks in one day, on April 19, 2024, she was in neonatal care when staff prescribed sodium acid phosphate instead of sodium chloride on May 8. The dose was five times too high, causing her blood calcium to plummet and her heart rate to drop dangerously. The air went unnoticed for 16 hours across multiple shifts, even as blood tests showed low calcium levels starting around 2 a.m. the next day. Pharmacy staff finally flagged it around 3 p.m., but the drug wasn't fully stopped until later, and the consultant wasn't informed right away. Corrective steps began around 7 p.m., but Sidger's condition kept worsening. Sidger faced extra risks from long QT syndrome, a heart rhythm disorder that ran in her family, including her mother and two sisters.

1:00Clinicians knew of the 50% chance, but didn't prioritize testing at birth, and advice from great ormistry hospital wasn't fully shared. She also had sepsis earlier, plus other issues like patent ductus arteriosis and grow restrictions from prematurity. Senior corner Fiona Wilcox ruled the death from treatment induced low calcium, combined with long QT and prematurity complications. On January 21st, she issued a warning to two hospitals about prescribing failures and mischances to catch the overdose early, urging better safeguards. Both hospitals expressed deep sorrow to Sidger's family and pledged reviews to strengthen communication and processes, aiming to prevent future. Tragedies like this one.