SUPHAN BURI, THAILAND – A one‑month‑old baby at Dan Chang Hospital was mistakenly given an allergy injection intended for a nine‑month‑old child, the clinic said, adding that no health effects had been detected so far.
Medication mix‑up under investigation
The Dan Chang Hospital in Suphan Buri reported on 2 April that a medication error had occurred. A one‑month‑old infant received an allergy injection that had been prepared for a nine‑month‑old patient.
According to the clinic, the incident was under review and the facts of the case were being examined. The case drew wider public attention after the baby’s father wrote about it on Facebook.
Father’s Facebook post raises alarm
The father wrote that a doctor had informed the family their child had been given the wrong injection. In his post, he warned of possible risks from an overdose.
He also claimed the drug was not suitable for children and listed possible consequences including slowed breathing, unusually long sleep with difficulty waking, and, in severe cases, cardiac arrest and death.
Hospital names drug and explains error
Hospital director Itsawon Duangjinda said the clinic had acknowledged the mistake on its official Facebook page. The drug was Chlorpheniramin, an antihistamine used to relieve allergy symptoms.
The medication had been prepared for a nine‑month‑old child in a neighbouring bed but was administered to the one‑month‑old baby after a mix‑up in patient identification. A member of the nursing staff then mistakenly gave the injection to the wrong patient.
Doctors report no abnormal symptoms
According to Itsawon, paediatricians and specialists monitored the infant from the afternoon of 1 April into the night. They reported that no physical effects had been observed.
The pharmacological effect of Chlorpheniramin typically lasted four to six hours, the director said. After that period, no abnormal symptoms or dangerous side effects were detected.
Quality checks and possible compensation
The hospital stated it recognised the error and intended to apply its quality control procedures to prevent similar incidents in future. On possible compensation, Itsawon said this would depend on whether the baby had suffered physical harm.
As doctors had not identified any damage so far, the current focus was on treatment and close observation. According to initial information, the family had not yet filed a lawsuit.
Family says apology never reached them
The family, however, said they had not received an apology. Itsawon responded that staff members had apologised, but because the baby was being treated in the infant ward and the parents were not constantly present, the apology might not have reached them directly.
Reporters from Khaosod spoke on 2 April with the mother, who said her baby had been treated in a hospital bed on the afternoon of 1 April for a lung infection. While she was feeding the child, a nurse administered a drug through the IV line, after which the baby fell asleep and was unusually still.
Mother describes ward check and disclosure
Shortly afterwards, the ward head returned, checked the medication and called a doctor, the mother said. The doctor told her the wrong drug had been given and that it had been intended for an older patient.
The mother stressed that staff usually asked for a patient’s name before giving medication, but that this had not happened in this case. She added that the child was now under round‑the‑clock monitoring by doctors.
Father demands answers and fair treatment
The father said the hospital had contacted the family and announced a meeting to discuss the incident and possible redress. He also asked the media to keep following the case so the family would be treated fairly.
The report referred to another case in which a hospital said it had confused a newborn with another baby. In that incident, the error was acknowledged and corrected, and a meeting was set to discuss compensation.
“How should a hospital respond when a medication mix‑up occurs – are an apology and internal measures enough, or are stricter external controls needed?”
said the article, inviting readers to comment on what safety checks they see as essential in clinics and how transparently hospitals should communicate such incidents.