Blood test

Hospital Lab Worker Bit Boy, Parents Say
Worker Fired

POSTED: 8:30 am EDT September 26, 2007
UPDATED: 10:22 am EDT September 26, 2007


INDIANAPOLIS -- A hospital lab technician bit a boy's shoulder as she used a syringe to draw blood from his arm, his parents told police.

The technician, who worked for a subcontractor that does blood work for St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, was fired after last week's incident involving 3-year-old Victor Buntin, the hospital said.

"Taking a bite out of him like he's an apple -- this is heinous," Victor's father, James Buntin, said Tuesday.

Victor's mother, Faith Buntin, took him to St. Vincent on Friday for a blood test because of recent recalls of toys involving lead, WRTV-TV in Indianapolis reported.

She said she saw the worker put her mouth on Victor's shoulder.

"I looked at her like that was the craziest thing that I'd ever seen," Faith Buntin said. "She looked at me and smiled and said, 'Oh, it was just a play bite. He's not hurt.'"

Faith Buntin said she let it go because her son was crying, ostensibly over the testing. Back at home, she said, she saw teeth marks on his left shoulder.

Her husband drove the child back to the hospital, where he was prescribed antibiotics.

The family filed a report with Indianapolis police and is seeking criminal charges. A detective has been assigned to the case, the television station reported.

St. Vincent spokesman Johnny Smith said the hospital is "reviewing the capabilities" of the employees of the subcontractor, Mid-America Clinical Laboratories.

"We're tying to determine the best approach," Smith said. "It's just an unfortunate and sad situation, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family."

Victor will be tested over the next few months to see whether the bite transmitted any disease, his parents said.

Source: here