A 14-day-old female infant born at term was brought to the pediatrician because her right eye was slightly swollen and had a watery discharge. The mother stated that she had an unremarkable pregnancy and vaginal delivery. The records reflected that the infant was healthy at the time of the 48-hour discharge. The physician concluded that a tear duct obstruction was present and asked the parents to massage it. The pediatrician retained by the plaintiff explained that an evaluation of the eye with cultures should have been done. The plaintiff explained that in the past, infants with Neisseria gonorrhoeae conjunctivitis presented at 2 to 5 days of age, but partial suppression by ocular prophylaxis has altered the onset to a later time. Chlamydia trachomatis conjunctivitis typically appears 5 to 14 days after birth. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) conjunctivitis was also an important infection to consider because of potentially devastating consequences if...
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December 2018
