Bangkok hospital toddler loses finger in alleged IV mishap

Thailand wanted to be a health hub, but there are really some issues lately in the news. Not even private hospitals are all that good too..

I had some bandages removed covering quite a deep, infected wound the other week. The nurse used kitchen scissors with plastic handles.......that can't be right.

is it normal to put an IV into a childs finger ?

4 hours ago, WIAA Alfie said:

I had some bandages removed covering quite a deep, infected wound the other week. The nurse used kitchen scissors with plastic handles.......that can't be right.

If they were not being used as a kitchen tool but solely as a medical tool to cut through bandages then they were not "kitchen scissors", they were hospital medical equipment scissors. What's wrong with that?

Edited Sunday at 07:59 AM2 days by Liverpool Lou

4 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

is it normal to put an IV into a childs finger ?

It wasn't reported that the IV was in the child's finger but clearly the tape securing it was partly around its finger.

37 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

If they were not being used as a kitchen tool but solely as a medical tool to cut through bandages then they were not "kitchen scissors", they were hospital medical equipment scissors. What's wrong with that?

Plastic handles?............get a grip

21 minutes ago, WIAA Alfie said:

59 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

If they were not being used as a kitchen tool but solely as a medical tool to cut through bandages then they were not "kitchen scissors", they were hospital medical equipment scissors. What's wrong with that?

Plastic handles?............get a grip

Why not? They weren't being used for surgery, they were just cutting off your dirty bandages...get a grip.

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On 9/13/2026 at 4:07 PM, WIAA Alfie said:

Using ordinary household scissors with plastic handles to cut soiled bandages on a deep, infected wound presents a significant medical risk and should be avoided.

Primary Risks

• Bacterial Contamination: Household scissors are not sterile. Microscopic dirt, food particles, and bacteria frequently lurk in the mechanical joints and crevices of plastic-handled scissors, directly introducing pathogens into an open, compromised wound.

• Inability to Sterilize: Standard household items cannot be properly autoclaved. Wiping them with rubbing alcohol or washing with hot water reduces surface grime but fails to eliminate stubborn bacterial spores or deep-seated biofilms.

• Tissue Trauma: Ordinary scissors lack the specialized blunt-tip design of medical shears. This increases the danger of accidentally snagging fragile new skin, cutting the underlying tissue, or tearing the wound bed during removal.

Recommended Alternatives

• Medical Trauma Shears: Utilize stainless-steel medical shears, which feature an angled blade and a blunt lower tip designed to slide safely across skin without puncturing it.

• Sterile Single-Use Scissors: If specialized tools are unavailable, sterile, single-use medical scissors provide a clean, disposable option for dressing removal.

• Clinical Oversight: Deep, infected wounds require professional management. Having a nurse or physician handle dressing changes ensures proper aseptic technique, monitors healing progress, and minimizes the risk of worsening the infection or developing systemic complications.

A nice example of pushing AI to a conclusion.

You inserted the phrase "household scissors" in your prompt (i.e a pair lying around the kitchen etc) which sent your AI down a certain path waxing lyrical about the risk of food particles etc being present. Indeed, likely not a good idea to use my kitchen scissors, recently used to cut up raw chicken or frequently handled by many people, on any wound dressing.

Unfortunately, they were not household scissors they were highly likely to be medical scissors with (oh the humanity) plastic handles.

Readily available as sterilised, single use/disposable items for basic procedures from medical supply stores at around USD1-3.

You'll probably find the related THB 30-100 on your hospital bill somewhere.

On 9/13/2026 at 6:28 AM, Georgealbert said:

one-year-old child allegedly lost a finger at a Bangkok hospital after a nursing assistant used scissors to remove tape securing an IV line

Wouldn't surprise me if this was to happen in an Australian hospital with all the incompetent staff employed by hospitals these days.

19 minutes ago, realfunster said:

A nice example of pushing AI to a conclusion.

You inserted the phrase "household scissors" in your prompt (i.e a pair lying around the kitchen etc) which sent your AI down a certain path waxing lyrical about the risk of food particles etc being present. Indeed, likely not a good idea to use my kitchen scissors, recently used to cut up raw chicken or frequently handled by many people, on any wound dressing.

Unfortunately, they were not household scissors they were highly likely to be medical scissors with (oh the humanity) plastic handles.

Readily available as sterilised, single use/disposable items for basic procedures from medical supply stores at around USD1-3.

You'll probably find the related THB 30-100 on your hospital bill somewhere.

Hello....disposable......I went every day for four weeks.......saw the same scissors used on the patient before me and after me.