A nurse of at Prince of Wales Hospital gave a baby an injection of penicillin by mistake, after the baby's mother had placed her in the wrong crib.

On August 25 in the afternoon, a newborn's mother  misplaced her in another baby's crib. A nurse gave the baby an injection of 105mg of penicillin without cross-checking the name tags on the baby's hand and foot. The dosage was 28.5mg higher than required.

It was discovered later when another nurse was about to inject another dose of antibiotics into the baby.

The incident was reported to the supervisor immediately. Physical examination and risk assessment confirmed that the baby did not suffer any adverse effect. The hospital met the parents on the same day to explain the situation and extend an apology.

The baby had been transferred to the ward on August 20 for a seven-day course of antibiotic. Her condition was stable and she was discharged on August 28.

The hospital is very concerned about the incident. The relevant staff was counselled and reminded to follow drug administration procedures and guidelines. The nurse's performance will be monitored and she will be subject to disciplinary action.