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Parents sue after child dies in outbreak

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Times Staff Writers

Excited about the birth of their first child, David and Lucina Marin already had decorated his nursery and prepared his crib when Lucina suddenly went into labor at 26 weeks.

On Nov. 17, Lucina delivered her son prematurely at White Memorial Medical Center in Boyle Heights. The child weighed 2 pounds and was being treated for an immature lung but was expected to recover.

For the record:

12:00 a.m. Dec. 21, 2006 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday December 21, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 40 words Type of Material: Correction
Bacterial outbreak: An article in Wednesday’s California section about a premature baby who probably died from a virulent bacterium at White Memorial Medical Center gave the name of the hospital’s chief medical officer as Rosario Lopez. It is Rosalio Lopez.

The couple named him Sibraim, which in Hebrew means “hope,” in gratitude to God for sending them a child after Lucina overcame health problems during their eight-year marriage in her struggle to conceive.

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On Monday, that hope was dashed when Sibraim died from a virulent bacterium, the second infant death believed related to an outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which has forced the hospital to temporarily close its neonatal intensive care unit to new admissions.

Fighting back tears as they stood outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown Tuesday, the Marins announced they were filing a wrongful-death lawsuit against White Memorial, citing negligence and alleging that the hospital failed to promptly inform them about the bacterium.

“It was a human error,” said David Marin as his wife stood behind him, sobbing. “We just want the hospital to take full responsibility for what they’ve done.... We are heartbroken.”

The couple said they hoped their lawsuit would put pressure on the hospital to “never let this happen again.”

On Tuesday evening, after consulting with county health officials, the hospital reopened its neonatal intensive care unit, said Dr. Rosario Lopez, the hospital’s chief medical officer.

Hospital officials, who had not seen the lawsuit, declined to address Marin’s specific allegations. But they said the hospital had been forthright about the outbreak.

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“We notified the parents as soon as we had information,” said Lopez.

The intensive care unit, which treats premature, underweight or seriously ill newborns, was closed Dec. 4, the same day the hospital notified the county of the outbreak, which had infected five infants. Ten others were found to have colonies of P. aeruginosa in their noses or rectums but no signs of infection.

Two infants are believed to have died of the bacterial infection, while most of the eight other patients that remained in the neonatal unit Tuesday who were either infected or had the bacteria in their systems were recovering.

An interim investigation by county health officials found that White Memorial recently changed how it cleaned its laryngoscope blades -- instruments used to help insert breathing tubes. Lab tests showed a blade had P. aeruginosa on it even after it had been cleaned, investigators said.

The bacterium was also found in the sinks and faucets in the neonatal intensive care unit. P. aeruginosa is a common bacterium found in water and soil, and can be spread through body contact, fluids and water. It can be deadly in patients with weakened immune systems, such as premature babies, patients with cancer or AIDS and those on breathing machines.

White Memorial Medical Center used to send the laryngoscope blades to the hospital’s central unit for high-level disinfection, as recommended by the manufacturer, according to the county report.

But in March, the report said, respiratory therapy staff began cleaning the devices themselves, a change in practice that hospital officials declined to address Tuesday, citing an ongoing investigation.

White Memorial has since reverted to its original sterilization practice, and there is no sign of ongoing infection, said Dr. Laurene Mascola, chief of the county’s acute communicable disease program.

“We’ve seen a change in procedure on this [sterilization] process,” Mascola said. “There should be no more outbreak related to Pseudomonas.”

Lopez added, “We are confident we have taken all the appropriate measures, infection control and otherwise, to maintain our first-class status.”

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Shirley K. Watkins, the Marin family’s attorney, said the intent of the lawsuit is to get White Memorial to disclose the findings of its internal investigation into the cause of the outbreak and the subsequent actions taken to inform parents and the public. She said the family decided to sue after the hospital failed to provide more information about its investigation.

“They were told very little,” Watkins said of his clients. “They were told a week after the hospital knew their son had an infection.”

David Marin said that when his son was born, he was assured by doctors that the infant didn’t show signs of being unhealthy and was likely to survive.

On Nov. 24, a week after Sibraim’s birth, Watkins said the family was told by hospital officials after the boy vomited Lucina’s breast milk that their son had an infection. But she said there was no explanation as to the cause.

Over the next few days, the family watched as Sibraim’s health declined. His intestines and digestive system were weakened and his stomach began to bloat.

On Nov. 30, the hospital began investigating the outbreak, the same day hospital officials said it was aware of more than one P. aeruginosa case in the neonatal unit, according to the report.

On Dec. 11, Watkins said, the Marins were informed that the source of the infection was possibly the laryngoscope blade, probably because of a lack of proper sterilization. The news was devastating. The couple had struggled for eight years to have a child. Lucina had a pituitary tumor removed and two surgeries on her ovaries to correct problems with her reproductive system.

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“The only day [Sibraim] opened his eyes,” her husband said, “was the same day we found out about the infection. I just wanted him to see us.”

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francisco.varaorta@latimes.com

ron.lin@latimes.com

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