Comments on: 14 Preemies Given Blood Thinner Overdose

Babies At Texas Hospital Given Too Much Heparin; Mistake Probed, Children Being Monitored

[christitty]

Hospital workers are arrogant, insensative, uncaring JERKS. They ignor people, condescend to them, are RUDE to them and think they are above everyone and everything.

[wheilala]

this is indeed originating from packaging that does not sufficiently differentiate. I work at a hospital which has significantly changed (increased) its operating procedures to prevent this from happening--a very impressive, proactive move. The extra cautions cost more. So for the dolts rambling about malpractice and healthcare costs in general, understand that these errors happen and people genuinely take action to try to prevent them. It''s not easy.

[kidsnursega]

The issue with these 14 infants was not a mistake by the nursing staff but a mistake by the pharmacy. This means that the incorrect dose was put in a syringe that was labeled correctly. The nurse would have checked the label and would not have had any way of knowing that the contents were incorrect.

In the Dennise Quaid situtation, The wrong bottles were placed in a dispening draw and this was not immediately notice by the nursing staff.

[impeach__w]

This drug has similar labels for different doses. The difference is a decimal point.

[american30]

Let''s all remember that we are all human. I know that this is a terrible mistake but we all make them. Just some of us don''t have so much liability in our mistakes.
Let''s all pray that this doesn''t end tragically for any of them.

[sistatee-2009]

Sue the newborns. They have deep pockets.

[newtagagain]

Posted by msay3

Not saying it''s an excuse, every dose should be read by two different people and there should be no mistakes. All I''m saying is legalese on labels does not help their clarity.

[antoniof123]

This is a question for all of you Nazi Republicans...tell me again why we should get rid of med mal attorneys.

Posted by kittykatty2 at 01:26 PM : Jul 08, 2008

Same to you Commie

Posted by cyinzl8r at 01:33 PM : Jul 08, 2008

Acctually that would not be a Commie because they weren''t allowed to sue. So I guess kittykatty2 made a good point.

[msay3]

One other possible reason for the label mix-up is that the law requires so much info to be printed on the label, sometimes the really important stuff, dose etc. can get lost in the general mumbo-jumbo.

Posted by NewTagAgain at 02:19 PM : Jul 08, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You call that an excuse? Hospital personnel should make it their business to know exactly what dose is to be given, HOW MUCH, HOW OFTEN, AND ANYTHING ELSE IS INEXCUSABLE!!!!!

[newtagagain]

One other possible reason for the label mix-up is that the law requires so much info to be printed on the label, sometimes the really important stuff, dose etc. can get lost in the general mumbo-jumbo.

[flreason]

There is insufficient information to speculate in this instance, but many hospitals are understaffed, forcing employees to work extra shifts. The result is a greater chance of errors. This is, in part, a result of privatization. When hospitals are operated for profit, the easiest place to cut costs is by cutting staff.

[Syndicate]

14 new little millionares. This should not have ever happened again after the Quaid twins.

[navyjimfl]

after the Quaid debacle I can''t believe this hospital did not take action to prevent this from happening again....

[cyinzl8r]

This is a question for all of you Nazi Republicans...tell me again why we should get rid of med mal attorneys.

Posted by kittykatty2 at 01:26 PM : Jul 08, 2008

Same to you Commie

[erasmus81]

"Too many poorly educated in key roles at hospitals? Too many lazy staff who can''''t be bothered with taking the time to read the labels?" Posted by Credibility2 at 01:06 PM : Jul 08, 2008

Accidents can happen anywhere, but these are the kinds of things that you will see happen when a hospital is privately owned. The quality of care, cleanliness, all go downhill. They aren''t accountable to anyone. The people no longer have control over how it is run.

[credibility2]

Those responsible for administering the medicine are also responsible for knowing how to read and differentiate between similar drugs. They''re not supposed to leave to chance by a visual and cursory assessment of product labeling. Perhaps a lot of this is due to those who are over-worked and stressed, or those who just don''t know how to read and understand differences. The drug companies are being asked to make it easier for these problems not to occur, yet for many years they didn''t occur. So what has changed? Too much work? Too many meds? Too many poorly educated in key roles at hospitals? Too many lazy staff who can''t be bothered with taking the time to read the labels?

[sdcjd1]

correction.. it''s their hep-loc flush solution vial that is similar to a heparin solution vial.

[sdcjd1]

Baxter labels the adult dose vial similarly to the pediatric dose vial, so that it is easy to mistake one for the other. They could change they vial to make them more distinguishable. I think the Quaids are suing them over this issue. Unfortunately sometimes that''s what it takes to force a corporation to do the right thing. Shame on Baxter.

[mysticstone]

This story is NOT about the Quaid twins. It about 14 preemies in Corpus Christi receiving overdose of Heparin that was discovered Sunday night.
Perhaps you should re-read the article.

[annia1233]

this story was already in the news. am I missing something, or I went back in time?