Going to the hospital can be a frightening experience. But we generally agree that a trip to the hospital can be necessary for us to feel better, get treated and recover from an injury or illness. While this is quite often what happens, there are some situations in which a mistake is made and a patient ends up feeling worse because of a surgical or medication error.
This is the tragic situation in which two parents recently found themselves. After the mother delivered their baby five weeks before her due date, they thought they were finally getting back to normal once the baby was a month old. But the mother noticed around that same time that the baby was fussy and brought him to the hospital to be examined. It turned out that the baby boy was suffering from meningitis, a viral infection. It was an upsetting diagnosis, but one that the parents thought was treatable.
However, a mistake was made by the hospital pharmacist when the baby was given a dose of Acyclovir. Instead of the recommended dose of 168 milligrams, the baby was given 280 milligrams of the viral medication. This is more than a day’s worth of medication. Just hours after the overdose, the baby’s heart stopped and his brain swelled. He is now surviving only because of a ventilator.
Despite all this, the hospital denies that the overdose contributed to the infant’s injuries. Instead, they are reportedly blaming his condition on the meningitis, not on the medication error that was made.
It is sadly not uncommon for hospitals to try and avoid taking blame for these types of mistakes. Instead of admitting to a mistake, apologizing and taking action to fix the situation, some hospitals and doctors will try and shift the blame onto something or someone else. This can be very upsetting for patients and their families who simply want negligent parties to be held accountable and for steps to be taken to ensure the same mistakes are not repeated. That is why many people in New Jersey choose to work with an attorney to file a medical malpractice claim after a hospital, medication or surgical error has happened.
Source: NBC Los Angeles, “Weeks-Old Baby Overdosed During Meningitis Treatment: Parents,” Vikki Vargas, Jan. 2, 2014
