Dennis Quaid's twins get accidental overdose

[deanws]

No, they didn't recall the medication, BUT they DID send a notice to all the companies using this product...which IMO was sufficient. People should do their jobs correctly. Which means reading the label correctly.

"In February, Baxter Healthcare Corp. sent a letter warning health care workers to carefully read labels on the heparin packages to avoid a mix-up."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071205/ap_on_en_mo/people_dennis_quaid_newborns

 

[CarpeDiem]

Not enough, they knew the product was dangerous as it was packaged, they knew mistakes were easy to make, they didn't want the expense and stock hit of a recall.

 

[LovingTheChaos]

Not enough, they knew the product was dangerous as it was packaged, they knew mistakes were easy to make, they didn't want the expense and stock hit of a recall.

CarpeDiem got it right - the product should have been recalled after the first 3 infants died. I am honestly shocked at the people that think this is a bad idea - what is the reason? Is it because you dislike lawsuits in general? Or celebrities? Despite what the conservatives try & tell us, sometimes the only way to make corporations do the right thing is to legislate, or to sue.

 

[nanandjim]

Yep, let's idiot proof everything and do away with personal responsibility, especially for those who are being paid to read the labels before they adminster the drugs.

I had to shake my head when I read the warning on the cardboard thing that I put in my front window of my car. "Please remove before driving." I guess that the makers didn't want to be sued because their product didn't have a warning label...

 

[deanws]

CarpeDiem got it right - the product should have been recalled after the first 3 infants died. I am honestly shocked at the people that think this is a bad idea - what is the reason? Is it because you dislike lawsuits in general? Or celebrities? Despite what the conservatives try & tell us, sometimes the only way to make corporations do the right thing is to legislate, or to sue.

I don't think the recall is necessary due to the fact that the bottles are LABELED and it is the job of hospitals to implement procedures that include READING the labels...something that shouldn't be a big deal for TRAINED PROFESSIONALS. The company DID send out warning materials and changed the way they labeled the bottles. I do dislike lawsuits in general because they cost all consumers money. We ALL pay for lawsuits. I do think they are necessary in some cases. I LOVE celebrities! They entertain us and I admire people with talent. I agree that big corporations need to do the right thing, but in this case, it was human error and procedures for giving medications at the hospital weren't followed.

 

[LovingTheChaos]

Yep, let's idiot proof everything and do away with personal responsibility, especially for those who are being paid to read the labels before they adminster the drugs.

I had to shake my head when I read the warning on the cardboard thing that I put in my front window of my car. "Please remove before driving." I guess that the makers didn't want to be sued because their product didn't have a warning label...

nan - just like the Homer Simpson warning on blow dryers - personally, I would rather have you & me roll our eyes, than to read about another infant dead because a nurse got tired, after a technician misplaced a bottle.

 

[Marthatex]

That's what confuses me too Martha... My son was in the Neonatal ICU for 5 months in San Antonio. The nurses always ALWAYS had another nurse verify their meds. My little one was on so many diff. meds everyday and every single time it was re-checked before they gave it to him. They never ''relaxed''...

My daughter went back to ICU for a week, and it was scary, with borderline blood transfusion jaundice. Fortunately we caught it in time and it went down. They told me I would have to check her hearing for years; I was not happy with the pediatrician who sent us home after one day in hosp. as her jaundice was creeping up.

I was naive, but looking back on it I should have made a complaint about the pediatrician. He did a reckless thing as I found out and other doctors agreed. I chose not to sue though as she seemed OK. A lawsuit is alot of stress on everyone. Now I know you should make a complete to the Medical Board. I hate ridiculous lawsuits; but some are VALID.
The important thing is to changed the bad behavior or get rid of the incompetents, so others don't suffer.

But people like to go for "deep pockets." (not the case in the Quaid case IMO)

 

[newkid]

CarpeDiem got it right - the product should have been recalled after the first 3 infants died. I am honestly shocked at the people that think this is a bad idea - what is the reason? Is it because you dislike lawsuits in general? Or celebrities? Despite what the conservatives try & tell us, sometimes the only way to make corporations do the right thing is to legislate, or to sue.

As I stated earlier, in most cases, I don't think lawsuits actually solve anything, I think they encourage coverups with regards to mistakes as well as lower levels of treatment because doctors/hospitals/pharmacies/labs/etc. don't want the liability associated with a new/experimental treatment or very ill patients.

In this case, I think that the Quaid's could have acheived their desired result with their celebrity and the media attention that goes along with it.

 

[Amraann]

By sending the warning I think the drug co in part admitted they felt the packaging was a mistake... opening them up to litigation.

I personally feel the blame is totally that of the hospital and the staff.
From what I read there was NO need to even keep such a high dose in an area where the nicu meds where kept.
I do expect my nurse or Dr to in fact READ the label ... isn't that just required protocol?

 

[newkid]

By sending the warning I think the drug co in part admitted they felt the packaging was a mistake... opening them up to litigation.

I personally feel the blame is totally that of the hospital and the staff.
From what I read there was NO need to even keep such a high dose in an area where the nicu meds where kept.
I do expect my nurse or Dr to in fact READ the label ... isn't that just required protocol?

It is required protocol, many places use barcode scanners for an additional level of verification.

 

[JBean]

citation has been issued against Cedars-Sinai for a massive medical mix-up that injured three newborns, including the newborn twins of actor Dennis Quaid.

The L.A. Times is reporting the California Department of Public Health found the hospital failed to "adhere to established policies and procedures for safe medication use ... These violations caused, or were likely to cause, serious injury or death to the patients who received the wrong medication."
http://www.tmz.com/2008/01/09/state-cites-cedars-for-quaid-twin-drug-mix-up/#continuedcontents

 

[JBean]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cedars10jan10,0,7480226.story?coll=la-home-local

State cites safety drug lapses at Cedars-Sinai
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's handling of high-risk drugs placed its pediatric patients in immediate jeopardy of harm, the state said Wednesday in its response to an overdose involving the newborn twins of actor Dennis Quaid.

In a 20-page report, the California Department of Public Health said the prestigious Los Angeles hospital gave the twins and another child 1,000 times the intended dosage of the blood thinner heparin Nov. 18.

 

[Marthatex]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cedars10jan10,0,7480226.story?coll=la-home-local

State cites safety drug lapses at Cedars-Sinai
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's handling of high-risk drugs placed its pediatric patients in immediate jeopardy of harm, the state said Wednesday in its response to an overdose involving the newborn twins of actor Dennis Quaid.

In a 20-page report, the California Department of Public Health said the prestigious Los Angeles hospital gave the twins and another child 1,000 times the intended dosage of the blood thinner heparin Nov. 18.

What a disaster. The pharm tech puts adult dosage of heparin in the pediatric ward. THe nurse does not read the label.

Do we all feel safe in the hospital now?

 

[pedinurse]

gosh haven't these nurses ever heard of the 5 rights of medication administration? i drill that into my nursing students every single day when i have to precept them on the floor!!

 

[JanetElaine]

gosh haven't these nurses ever heard of the 5 rights of medication administration? i drill that into my nursing students every single day when i have to precept them on the floor!!

What are they, pedinurse? I'm not a nurse so don't worry that I don't know . Are the babies going to be okay?

 

[JBean]

What are they, pedinurse? I'm not a nurse so don't worry that I don't know . Are the babies going to be okay?

Right patient

Right medication

Right dose

Right time

right route​

 

[AlwaysShocked]

The other thing that stuck out to me is that there also was incomplete documentation.

"Among the errors cited by the state: Nurses and pharmacy technicians did not check product labels before they dispensed heparin and did not keep adequate records of when it was used."

The pharmacy techs would not be the ones to "keep adequate records of when it was used". That would be the nurses.

So this report is saying that at least two nurses did not read the medication label before they administered the med. And in addition to not reading the label on the medication, that there was at least one failure to document the procedure.

Very, very poor nursing.

 

[CarpeDiem]

It get's even worse. The Quaids speak about the ordeal and their experience at the hospital:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-quaid15jan15,0,7431993.story?coll=la-home-center

 

[browneyes]

What are they, pedinurse? I'm not a nurse so don't worry that I don't know . Are the babies going to be okay?

When my Dad was in the hospital, my niece was curious about the iv meds he was on. When she looked at the labels, one of the meds didn't have my Dad's name on it....it was for another patient.

Thank goodness he was ok.....no reaction.

 

[Marthatex]

It get's even worse. The Quaids speak about the ordeal and their experience at the hospital:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-quaid15jan15,0,7431993.story?coll=la-home-center

Sorry, but I would be ready to "kill" if that had happened to my babies.

Shouldn't they have been called the night the twins started bleeding???? Just like they say, the twins could have died while they were home sleeping.
Shouldn't they have been informed that the twins were being given the antidote? Were they trying for a cover-up? It sounds like it.