A 6-month-old boy died Tuesday after what relatives said was an antibiotic overdose at a Brooklyn hospital. The baby was given Zithromax, an antibiotic. Hit the jump to read the rest of the story.
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“We love this baby,” a cousin and caretaker, Jhora Akther said. “Oh, my God. It’s just so messed up. His life was over in a second. I just can’t believe it.”
Little Amaan Ahmmad’s parents brought him to the emergency room at Brookdale University Hospital on Friday morning because he was running a fever, Akther said. Hospital staffers determined the baby had early symptoms of pneumonia.
There weren’t any hospital beds available. So Amaan, while still in a stroller, was hooked up to an IV drip and given Zithromax, an antibiotic, the cousin said. Amaan’s reaction to the medicine was deadly.
“He turned blue,” Akther said. “Not even a second. The medicine went in, and he is finished.”
The infant went into a coma, Akther said, and was on life support until Tuesday. The cousin said the baby was given 500 mg of the antibiotic; she was later told that the proper dosage was 80 mg.
The nurse who issued the fatal dose has been fired, the relatives said. Hospital officials wouldn’t confirm that account.
“We are investigating the circumstances of this tragic incident and express our condolences to the Ahmmad family,” spokeswoman Ruth Richman said in a statement.
The NYPD was not immediately notified. The medical examiner’s office will determined what killed Amaan.
“Someone’s mistake took him away,” Akther said. “I can’t accept that. In America, that’s unacceptable.”
Amaan’s parents, who live in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, are originally from Bangladesh. His mother, Ummay Sultana, 27, works at a Key Food in Queens. His father, Amain, only recently arrived in the U.S.
The heartbroken family isn’t sure what to do next, though they have requested the baby’s hospital records.
