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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jul/25/baby-dies-and-another-critical-after-they-were-given-nitrous-oxide-at-sydney-hospital
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| Baby dies and another critical after being given nitrous oxide at Sydney hospital | Baby dies and another critical after being given nitrous oxide at Sydney hospital |
| (3 days later) | |
| A baby has died and another is in a critical condition after they were given nitrous oxide instead of oxygen at a Sydney hospital. | A baby has died and another is in a critical condition after they were given nitrous oxide instead of oxygen at a Sydney hospital. |
| The New South Wales health minister, Jillian Skinner, said she was “profoundly sorry” for the families and it was an installation error by BOC Limited that led to the wrong gas being emitted. | The New South Wales health minister, Jillian Skinner, said she was “profoundly sorry” for the families and it was an installation error by BOC Limited that led to the wrong gas being emitted. |
| The babies who were given nitrous oxide – also known as laughing gas – were born in June and July this year but the wrong gas had been installed last year and not picked up by staff. | |
| Related: Health inequality: report finds 'unacceptable' variation in hospital admissions | Related: Health inequality: report finds 'unacceptable' variation in hospital admissions |
| One of the babies died on Friday, while the other is still fighting for life in hospital. | One of the babies died on Friday, while the other is still fighting for life in hospital. |
| “I am profoundly sorry for the families of a newborn baby who died and another who was severely affected after the wrong gas was dispensed through a neonatal resuscitation outlet at Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital,” Skinner said on Monday night. | “I am profoundly sorry for the families of a newborn baby who died and another who was severely affected after the wrong gas was dispensed through a neonatal resuscitation outlet at Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital,” Skinner said on Monday night. |
| “I deeply regret these families have suffered through such a devastating error. NSW Health will do all it can to support them.” | “I deeply regret these families have suffered through such a devastating error. NSW Health will do all it can to support them.” |
| The families were told of the wrongly installed gas outlet in discussions over the weekend that Skinner referred to as “open disclosure of the facts around the births”. | The families were told of the wrongly installed gas outlet in discussions over the weekend that Skinner referred to as “open disclosure of the facts around the births”. |
| The oxygen outlet was incorrectly installed and certified by BOC Limited in July 2015, according to Skinner. | The oxygen outlet was incorrectly installed and certified by BOC Limited in July 2015, according to Skinner. |
| “The error was discovered after a pediatrician raised concerns about the unexpected death of the second baby,” she said. “Testing of the gas outlets found one oxygen outlet was emitting nitrous oxide instead of oxygen.” | “The error was discovered after a pediatrician raised concerns about the unexpected death of the second baby,” she said. “Testing of the gas outlets found one oxygen outlet was emitting nitrous oxide instead of oxygen.” |
| No other baby received gas from the affected outlet. | No other baby received gas from the affected outlet. |
| Related: Grattan Institute: ageing population 'will not cause collapse of health system' | Related: Grattan Institute: ageing population 'will not cause collapse of health system' |
| The legal general council for NSW Health has written to BOC Limited demanding urgent advice on how the error occurred and if there are systemic issues at other hospital sites serviced by BOC. | The legal general council for NSW Health has written to BOC Limited demanding urgent advice on how the error occurred and if there are systemic issues at other hospital sites serviced by BOC. |
| There will also be a formal investigation into whether the hospital staff followed protocols that may have the detected the installation error last year. | There will also be a formal investigation into whether the hospital staff followed protocols that may have the detected the installation error last year. |
| Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital has checked all eight theatres and found no further faults. | Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital has checked all eight theatres and found no further faults. |
| Every medical gas outlet installed in a NSW Health facility commissioned under the current government is being checked. | Every medical gas outlet installed in a NSW Health facility commissioned under the current government is being checked. |
| • This article was amended on 28 July 2016. An earlier version referred to “nitrogen gas” in the third paragraph, where “nitrous oxide” was meant. |