Wrongful death suit filed against Hartland company

A Texas couple has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a Hartland-based manufacturer of medical wipes. The lawsuit alleges that alcohol wipes made by the company, Triad Group, contained bacteria that, when used to clean the boys spinal tap, spread to his brain and caused a fatal case of meningitis.

The boy died in December at the age of two. His medical ordeal began when he fell off the couch at home and bumped his head. A routine CT scan revealed a cyst in his brain. Surgeons removed the cyst; the boy returned home, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Texas, and recovered quickly.

During a followup visit with a neurosurgeon, the doctor noticed an abnormal amount of cerebrospinal fluid inside the boys skull. A small spinal catheter was inserted to drain the fluid. Tests for bacteria were negative, the lawsuit says. Doctors ruled out an infection and believed the fluid was caused by an allergic reaction to an internal patch used in the surgery.

Fluid was repeatedly drawn from the catheter and tested. Each time it was tested, the skin around the insertion point was disinfected with alcohol wipes or swabs made by Triad Group, according to the complaint. After several days, the boy developed a sudden and severe case of bacterial meningitis allegedly caused by the Bacillus cereus bacterium, which is normally associated with foodborne illness.

About a month later, in January, Triad Group announced a recall of alcohol wipes and swabs due to possible contamination with the same bacterium. In a press release, the company said that, at the time, it had received one report of a non-life-threatening skin infection. The broad recall applied to all lots of alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs and alcohol swab-sticks manufactured by Triad Group.

"We are, out of an abundance of caution, recalling these lots to ensure that we are not the source of these contamination issues", the release said.