Cedars-Sinai releases a statement.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the hospital where DENNIS and KIMBERLY QUAID's infant twins, ZOE and BOONE, and a third, unnamed, patient were administered an overdose of medication, today released a statement announcing changes in hospital procedure.
The babies were given a 10,000 units per milliliter dose of the drug heparin when they should have been given a 10 units per milliliter dose. In the statement, the hospital said, "The medical center's investigation found that preventable errors made by pharmacy and nursing staff caused the wrong concentration of heparin to be used."
The hospital discloses that a pharmacy technician mistakenly removed a vial of the higher concentration of the medication from the shelf and when a second pharmacy technician failed to verify the concentration of the medication, it was sent to a satellite pharmacy.
The satellite pharmacy technician did not verify the concentration of the medication, and it was put in the location in the pediatrics unit where the lower concentration medication is normally kept. Nurses who administered the heparin to the patients did not verify the medication and dosage, contrary to hospital policy.
The medical center detailed several new policies in the statement and also noted that nurses and pharmacy technicians have all been re-trained regarding high-alert medical policies and practices.
The hospital also noted in the statement: "The individuals involved in this incident were immediately relieved of duty pending investigation, and appropriate disciplinary actions are being taken."
Posted December 04, 2007 6:02:00 PM
