A family is questioning the decisions made by an emergency room doctor after a toddler was pronounced dead “in error” at Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre in Arizona, and later found breathing inside the hospital morgue, reports ABC15 News.
It was previously reported that 18-month-old Vincent Fiordilino had been taken to the hospital – on 8 February – after being found in his family’s pool.
Police records and body-camera video, obtained by ABC15, show officers observing apparent signs of life after Vincent was pronounced dead.
More than five hours later, he was found alive in the hospital morgue, when the Medical Examiner’s transport arrived.
His mother, Alexus Fiordilino, has asked how this could have happened, while the family’s attorney has questioned the timing of a blood-gas test.
His mother said the day her son was rushed to the emergency room, the doctor, Dr Aryan Toosi, had come in to talk to her.
“He comes back, like, maybe not even five, 10 minutes later. And he said, ‘so his pH levels are too high. They’re too acidic. So even if we are to bring him back, it wouldn’t be a good form of life. He’d just be suffering. So, I think it’s best that I call the time for it’.”
She said she gave her son a hug as she said her goodbyes.
“He was so cold,” she said.
She told ABC15 that a relative had questioned if the toddler were still breathing before he was taken back to the morgue.
“My mother-in-law hugged him, and she said, ‘hey, it sounds as if he’s breathing and … they said, it’s normal…. it’s going to sound like that, but that’s normal.”
Hours later, Vincent was found alive in the hospital morgue and transported straight to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
“He was alone for five and a half hours. How do you do that to a baby?” his mother asked, showing ABC15 pictures of her son in physical therapy, and adding that the baby she once had is not the baby she brought home from the hospital.
Medical records raise questions
In heavily redacted body camera video from local police, someone in the hospital is heard asking: “Do we have results on the gas yet?”
The family’s attorney, John Brewer, said the doctor, Toosi, later cited Vincent’s blood gas as part of the medical reasoning surrounding the decision to pronounce him dead.
Records reviewed by ABC15 Investigators show Toosi justified not taking the toddler’s core body temperature or performing warming measures due, in part, to the results of that blood gas test.
The family and their attorney are now questioning when those results became available.
Additional records reviewed show Toosi called time of death at 6:20. Those records also appear to show that the doctor did not receive the test results until 6:38, 18 minutes after pronouncing Vincent dead.
The attorney believes there were warning signs and missteps the day Vincent was pronounced dead “in error”.
“They need to make it right for the child,” said Brewer, adding that it’s unclear what life will look like for Vincent, but he will need life-long care.
Mercy Gilbert Medical Centre said it was unable to comment, while Toosi’s attorney said that due to pending litigation and patient privacy laws, there would be no comment
In a statement, the police department said: “The facts gathered in our investigation, combined with all facts known at this time, did not establish probable cause for any criminal conduct involving medical personnel. As a result, no charges were forwarded against those involved.
“This case is now in the process of being referred to the Attorney General’s Office for their review.”
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Dead wrong: Gauteng woman found alive in mortuary fridge
Experts differ on when to declare a patient dead