She was diagnosed with first and second-degree internal and external chemical burns
A woman from US' Philadelphia says she was left severely burnt after a fertility doctor accidentally injected flesh-burning acid instead of saline into her womb. She now wonders if she'll ever have children.
According to New York Post, the incident happened on December 19, 2022, when 33-year-old Christine visited Main Line Fertility in Pennsylvania for a check-up on her fallopian tubes for potential blockages.
However, instead of being injected with saline, her doctor Allison Bloom accidentally gave her a syringe filled with Trichloroacetic acid which is a highly caustic substance used in very small doses to treat genital warts, Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
"I felt burning. I kept saying, 'Something is off. Something is wrong. Is it supposed to burn'', Ms. Christine told the news outlet.
Soon after, red warts started appearing on her inner thighs and legs.
Christine was later diagnosed with first and second-degree internal and external chemical burns, and treated at a local burn center, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. She told the media outlet that her reproductive organs have been badly scarred and that it still hurts even when she sits down.
Later, medical records revealed that the acid had been introduced at an alarming concentration of 85 percent. It's highly irritating, potentially carcinogenic, and possibly harmful to reproductive health. The long-term effects of the acid remain unknown.
The woman is now suing Main Line Fertility and Main Line Health, a hospital system of which Dr. Bloom is a staff member, alleging negligence, recklessness, and a failure to adhere to established best practices.
They are seeking monetary damages from the clinic, claiming its representatives never apologised or explained why the error took place.
“We intend to hold Dr. Bloom and other Main Line Fertility defendants accountable for the grossly irresponsible actions that led to this unthinkable scenario unfolding in the first place,” said Robert S. Miller, Christine's lawyer.