Yes I was wondering about that. If you can bypass the pump when administering drugs via the connector, then surely air could be administered by accident (not just in this case but in general) so what’s the point of the pump? Unless you wouldn’t normally use the connector to administer drugs apart from in special circumstances?
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Yea for me its went from being a possibility of injected on purpose or possibly negligence without intent but now I feel certain it was deliberate.
Will the defence have their own medical experts to offer alternative causes of death? If not, I don’t see how the verdict will be anything other than guilty.
It’s going to be a difficult 6 months, those poor babies’ families
It’s going to be a difficult 6 months, those poor babies’ families
Hi new here but I work in a hospital so thought I could help… the electronic pump would have the fluids running through ?the dextrose - this would alarm with the slightest air bubble going through the IV line therefore not allowing the air to go through electronically. However there usually will be a connector available not attached to the pump or even you could quickly mute the pump disconnect the fluids and syringe 20ml (for example) of air into the connector going straight into a vein without the the pump alarming- This could be done in 5/10 seconds. Hopefully this helps you.
Every trusts use different pumps so they’d have to looking their specific ones. Basically you would prime the line and ensure no air in the line, then connect it by putting two connection parts into the pump then setting the rate. All pumps alarm to inform you of air in the line, I don’t think it recognises tiny ones. I believe it’s the part that you connect it into the pump that recognises air. If any of that makes sense
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They haven’t said but they could do. They are going to have to though if they want to cast reasonable doubt on the three medical experts we’ve heard so far. I’ll be surprised if cross examining raises any reasonable doubt as these two are both pretty firm that the cause was air embolus and ruled out other causes.Will the defence have their own medical experts to offer alternative causes of death? If not, I don’t see how the verdict will be anything other than guilty.
It’s going to be a difficult 6 months, those poor babies’ families
Reading the evidence the medical experts this morning ..just finished reading Dr Bohin's evidence ( after reading up on her background)
She's not just some fly by night who has put her neck on the line saying the babies were administered air....if LL didn't do this then someone else did......bloody heartbreaking
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I don’t even want to keep an open mind anymore I’ve heard enough and I think she’s absolutely guilty only she was charged for the crimes and no other member of staff was around , all the Dr reports and suspicions aswell . These deaths wasn’t hospital failings something happened to them poor babies 
If they are just talking about a normal IV line, you hang the bag and, by gravity, run the fluid through the line, that is prime or flush, the line.
When there is no air, just fluid, in the whole ‘system’, you then place a portion of the line in the pump. There is a S shaped route that you push it into. This has a cover that you close.
You then adjust settings, rate, volume etc, if required.
This is now all set up to attach to the patients IV cannula and should not contain air.
If air does enter the pump, say the bag has run dry and the pump starts only drawing in air, the pump will alarm. If there is only a small amount of air in the line you could remove the line from the pump and give it a tap. Gravity will make the air travel up the line. You can then reinstall the line in the pump.
When the line is running there is a ‘port’ with a cap or bung after the pump, and nearer to the patient, where you can inject, or push in, medication while the pump is still running, or stopped temporarily. This allows you to do this without disrupting the IV setup. This is done frequently and is pretty much, to my knowledge, standard.
Hope that makes sense. Can’t reread, edit, as I have to go.
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. To my knowledge, a filter can be placed on the line, near the patient, that filters out the tiniest air bubbles. Can’t be sure because I’ve not used them.
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It seems like the defence were saying in their opening statement that they think there is another explanation and not an air embolus. They must have at least one expert who has confirmed that. Then it will make things difficult as how can the jury decide between conflicting expert opinions? I suppose if they only have one and prosecution have multiple? The expert evidence for an air embolus does seem quite damning at the moment though.
Me too...I can't imagine how the family and members of the jury have coped listening to some of this evidence....I've cried today for the first time since the prosecution gave his opening statement....its horrific
Hospital failings or not, it does appear from what's been said today, baby A and B where " deliberately harmed"
That's exactly how I feel this.morning!I don’t even want to keep an open mind anymore I’ve heard enough and I think she’s absolutely guilty only she was charged for the crimes and no other member of staff was around , all the Dr reports and suspicions aswell . These deaths wasn’t hospital failings something happened to them poor babies
It really does make you feel so sad hearing all that . It’s the first time during the trial that I’ve felt physically sick . How could anybody do this to an innocent baby just heartbreaking. Those poor parents having to listen to this I hope they have the right support
This is just heartbreaking
" Dr Bohin, in your opinion, what killed child A?"
Response
" air embolus".
Dear god
" Dr Bohin, in your opinion, what killed child A?"
Response
" air embolus".
Dear god
The pumps are silly sensitive too. I suppose unless the defence have credible witnesses to offer alternative cause of death, the only possibility of accidental death would be air when administering medication but I can't imagine a nurse managing to accidently draw up meds with a large amount of air in the syringe, its almost muscle memory to tapp out air and adjust.
After Sandy Bohin's testimony that it could not have been accidental air embolism (because of the alerting mechanism) and Evans' testimony that it wasn't the UVC long lines - I really don't know what the defence are going to go for here.
I mean Ben tried to discredit Dewey for basically being an old fogey and out of the game too long, but he can't do that with Bohin! Also if the NCA trusted Dewey, that counts for something. It wasn't some small town police team or hospital that brought him on to investigate, it was a national bureau renowned for being the best at what they do in this country.
I mean Ben tried to discredit Dewey for basically being an old fogey and out of the game too long, but he can't do that with Bohin! Also if the NCA trusted Dewey, that counts for something. It wasn't some small town police team or hospital that brought him on to investigate, it was a national bureau renowned for being the best at what they do in this country.
Me too ...I am in bits...and feel guilty as I'm not involved, though have been a nurse for over thirty years and kills me to think what may have gone on hereIt really does make you feel so sad hearing all that . It’s the first time during the trial that I’ve felt physically sick . How could anybody do this to an innocent baby just heartbreaking. Those poor parents having to listen to this I hope they have the right support
I found this interesting as when the nurse looking after Baby B gave evidence she said that when they returned the baby to the incubator she had an increased breathing rate, which they put down to being tired from being out of the incubator. Which says to me that with hindsight it probably wasn’t the best idea to take Baby B out? Also it shows that she was having some symptoms of being unwell before LL had any interaction with her.
Oh this is heartbreaking
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Yes and what a coincidence for it to happen to brother and sister, in such a short space of time
It’s definitely something you just do almost automatically. I am struggling to see how the defence can come back with anything tbh.
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