A three-member committee, which probed the case of an 18-month-old boy whose parents alleged that medical negligence led to the amputation of his right arm, has observed that arterial thrombosis and vasculitis was probably due to pseudomonas, a bacterial infection, that resulted in acute ischaemia of the right upper limb leading to the amputation becoming necessary.
Official sources said the committee’s inquiry report was submitted to the State government.
Doctors of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), where the child was treated had earlier stated that arterial thrombosis had led to limb ischaemia. Now, the committee, which comprised N. Sritharan, director of the Institute of Vascular Surgery, P.S. Shanthi, Director (in-charge), Institute of General Surgery of RGGGH and C. Ravichandran, head of department, Paediatric Haematology, Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, has pointed out in its report that the arterial thrombosis could probably be due to pseudomonas, an organism known to cause vasculitis and thrombosis of arteries. The Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) culture (a sample of which was taken) grew pseudomonas, while a biochemical analysis revealed low CSF sugar (11 mg/dL) and high protein (97 mg/dL), suggestive of a brain infection, the report said.
