JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The parents of a St. Johns County toddler who swallowed a lithium "button" battery are planning to sue Wolfson Children's Hospital after they say an emergency room doctor failed to treat their little girl with urgency.
They said that acting with urgency could have prevented life-threatening injuries.
The child, 1-year-old Ava-Kate, is recovering from the incident, which happened in March when she accidentally swallowed a lithium "button" battery inside a remote control.
"She's at the age where everything goes in the mouth, and it just happened in a matter of seconds,” Ava-Kate's mom, Courtney Thorne, said.
Thorne said that after a failed finger sweep, she called 911, and they were rushed to Wolfson Children's Hospital to see a doctor.
"He said that it was like a coin, it was going to be OK," Thorne said.
But after a series of delays, Thorne and Ava-Kate's father, Cole Parsons, found out it wasn't OK.
"When he consulted with the GI (gastrointestinal) doctor and we finally had him come, he let us know the seriousness of it and that there was an electrical current from that battery in her esophagus and that we had to get her into emergency surgery right away,” Parsons said.
Ava-Kate suffered critical burns and scarring on her esophagus. The burns are visible in photos taken shortly after the surgery.
"This is what was extracted from her throat, about six hours after she ingested it,” attorney Eric Ragatz said. “You can see the chemical burn and corrosion on it."
"Unfortunately the doctor that was staffing on their behalf that day didn't appear to understand the urgency of the situation,” attorney Tom Edwards said.
And that's why Parsons and Thorne plan to file a suit against the hospital. The lawyers at Edwards & Ragatz found there's nationally recognized guidelines recommending removal of the same battery within a two-hour window to avoid serious damage. That information is even posted on the hospital's website.
Ava-Kate is continuing treatment at Boston Children's Hospital, having undergone more than 18 procedures to improve the scarring on her throat. She’s on a puree and liquid diet.
"It can happen to anyone, any time, whether you watch your children constantly (or not),” Thorne said.
Lithium "button" batteries can be found in many household items like remotes, key fobs and even musical Christmas cards. It's recommended those items be kept somewhere where children can't reach them or that the battery cover be secured with duct tape.
Wolfson's chief medical officer, Dr. Jerry Bridgham, released a statement Wednesday about the incident:
Small batteries can be very dangerous to children. Wolfson Children’s Hospital takes all matters related to care very seriously, and at this time, we would simply like to express our heartfelt hope that every child remain safe, healthy and injury-free this holiday season.”
For more information on the dangers of button batteries, go to https://www.safekids.org/button-battery-injury-prevention.
