A baby who went into hospital with a cold suffered two collapsed lungs and ended up in intensive care after being given the wrong antibiotic by mistake.
One-year-old Liyho Swift-Mitchell was given amoxicillin by a health care assistant – despite wearing a red wristband saying he was allergic to the drug.
He developed an immediate allergic reaction, turning red and swelling up and suffering two collapsed lungs.
Liyho was rushed into the High Dependency Unit and put on an oxygen mask for three days until he recovered.
He is now back home but his family are calling for better training after the blunder at Gloucester Royal Hospital, which has apologised for the mistake.
His furious grandmother Claire Mitchell said she was “disgusted” and has demanded better training for nurses and healthcare assistants at the hospital in future.
She said: “It disgusts me. It should never have happened – they didn’t follow the protocol. The woman who gave him the drug should have her job taken off her.
“The hospital has said sorry, but sorry does not cover it. He is very, very ill. He is only a tiny tot. My daughter Georgia was up with him all night.
“His allergy was written on his paperwork and on his red wrist band.
“I was absolutely fuming when I found out. I came home from work and my daughter told me what had happened. He was covered in wires.”
Claire said her grandson, who was taken to hospital last Saturday with a cough and chest infection, was now slowly on the road to recovery.
He is currently suffering from a bacterial infection and a lower respiratory infection.
Claire added: “Being a grandmother is frightening, to see your grandson lying there in the hospital bed.
“He can’t move, he is so poorly. It is horrible seeing him in that condition.
“I saw him lying limp and floppy on my daughter’s chest. I’ve never seen a child so white in all my life.
“I’ve got to live with that image for the rest of my life. There were tears in my daughter’s eyes – as a mother that’s not something you ever want to see.”
Chief Executive of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Deborah Lee, said: “The Trust and staff involved in Liyho’s care deeply regret the mistake made in relation to his medication.
“We acknowledge how stressful and worrying it is to have such a young child in hospital and have been working with Liyho’s family to keep them informed at every stage and offer them an unreserved apology.”
Ms Lee said they were conducting a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident to establish exactly what happened and to ensure that they learn from this mistake so they can reduce the chance of anything similar happening again.
Consultant Paediatrician Ewoud Vorstman said: “Liyho is recovering well from his illness and fortunately he suffered no serious harm.”
