Infant’s death from severed catheter at Las Vegas hospital is a homicide, coroner says
By APTuesday, August 24, 2010
Infant death at Las Vegas hospital ruled homicide
LAS VEGAS — The death of an infant whose umbilical catheter was severed at a Las Vegas hospital has been ruled a homicide.
Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy says the ruling means the July 22 death of 2-month-old Miowne Obote was at the hands of another, but it’s not necessarily a murder.
Monday’s autopsy report shows the infant at Sunrise Children’s Hospital suffered severe bleeding when the catheter was severed, causing a fatal lack of oxygen to the brain.
The hospital previously described the catheter as interrupted, not severed.
The licenses of two neonatal intensive care unit nurses at the hospital were suspended after police investigated 14 incidents of disrupted catheters since February. The catheters are used to draw blood or deliver medication and nutrition.
No charges have been filed.
Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, www.lvrj.com
