Agency, hospital dropped from suit on catheterizing toddler

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A federal judge has dropped the South Dakota Department of Social Services and Avera St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre from a lawsuit alleging they deprived a 3-year-old boy and his mother of their rights after the boy was catheterized for a drug test.

The boy’s mother sued the department and its officials along with the Pierre hospital and two of its employees. The suit says the boy developed a staph infection following the procedure, which was ordered after the mother’s boyfriend failed a drug test.

The Argus Leader reports Judge Roberto Lange ruled the Department of Social Services did not have a role in the catheterization and the hospital has no policy to forcefully catheterize children on behalf of state investigators.

The two hospital employees were not released from the suit.

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Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com