Dallas

Jury Awards $1.3M in Infant Surgery Death

A Philadelphia jury has awarded $1.3 million to the estate of a days-old infant who died in 2011 after heart surgery at St. Christopher's Hospital for children.

Philly.com reports a Common Pleas jury voted 11-1 in favor of the verdict, which determined the boy died when a doctor wrongly administered too much calcium. Calcium is used to help hearts beat more strongly, but the jury agreed the doctor administered too much of it, causing the boy's heart to stop.

Attorneys for both sides referred questions to the hospital's owner, Tenet Healthcare Corp. of Dallas. Attorneys for the boy's estate had dropped their claims against the hospital after attorneys for both sides agreed the doctor acted as the hospital's agent.

A Tenet spokeswoman disputed that characterization, but didn't otherwise comment.

Copyright The Associated Press
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