Administered 50 Times the Standard Dose of COVID-19 Treatment to a 13-Month-Old Infant... Medical Records Also Deleted

Girl Ultimately Dies... Nurse Who Hid Overdose Arrested
Bereaved Family Files 1 Billion Won Compensation Lawsuit Against Hospital and State

Jeju Police Agency is conducting a search and seizure at Jeju National University Hospital, which is accused of administering a drug at 50 times the standard dose to a 12-month-old girl who tested positive for COVID-19 and died on the morning of April 28. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Nurses who overdosed a 13-month-old infant with COVID-19 treatment and concealed it have been arrested more than seven months after the incident occurred.

On the 25th, Jeju Police Agency announced that three nurses affiliated with Jeju National University Hospital?A (in her 50s), B (in her 20s), and C (in her 20s)?were arrested and are under investigation on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and abandonment resulting in death. They are accused of administering a drug at 50 times the standard dose to an infant being treated in the COVID ward of Jeju National University Hospital on March 11 and concealing this, which led to the infant's death.

According to the police and the hospital, on the day of the incident, the attending physician prescribed 5 mg of epinephrine diluted and to be administered via a nebulizer to treat the infant's respiratory distress symptoms.

However, nurse B is suspected of administering the entire 5 mg of the drug intravenously. The appropriate dose of epinephrine when injected to an infant is known to be 0.1 mg. Head nurse A is suspected of recognizing the accident immediately after the drug administration but delaying reporting it to the attending physician and others for about three days. Nurse C is suspected of repeatedly deleting records related to the drug prescription, treatment, and this drug administration accident.

The infant’s condition rapidly deteriorated after the overdose and died on March 12, the day after the administration. The bereaved family filed a civil lawsuit on May 4 against Jeju National University Hospital and the state, claiming 1 billion KRW in damages for illegal acts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.