Medical mistakes

August 21, 2004

In a message dated 8/21/04 5:12:38 AM Mountain Daylight Time,

SSRI medications writes:

> So what can we do, beside pray it doesn't happen to us or anyone we love?

>

When I had shoulder surgery 5 years ago, I wrote in felt pen " THIS ONE " on my

right arm, and " NOT THIS ONE " on my left. That is the only way you can

prevent this kind of medical disaster. I have a friend who went in for

abdominal

surgery. She put a big X on her stomach. I would never have surgery ever

again without appropriating marking the limb or body part that needed treatment.

Forget legislation. LOL

" Blind Reason "

a novel of pharmaceutical intrigue

Think your antidepressant is safe? Think again. It's

Unsafe At Any Dose

October 31, 2008

Donna,

Glad y'all caught this Mistake. I read about a year ago that there's MORE

Medical Mistakes than is recorded. This being a issue in which I am glad you

caught as if Matt had been in a Hospital it could have been much worse. You

never know. I have gotten to where I check the charts with those I carry to the

Dr just to make sure the names are completely right. I mean even if the name

is right but a address may be wrong or the birth date. As Several people with

the same name but wrong birth date.

Be sure about this at the Pharmacy as well. DOUBLE Check the name and

medication. Another reason to keep a eye on the color of the medication and the

shape of it. Believe me This happened 24 years ago to me. My Father in law

and Hubby and Son all have the same name. Different Middle names. So the

Pharmacy just filled all of them and decided it was all the same PERSON. But

the

birth dates were not the same either. I was handleing all their medications

at home. So when I got home I put them in different areas to remind my own

self which is whos. Well I got to looking and I seen my Son's birth date on a

Heart Medication. I said what the H lololol. I sat all the meds down and

opened each one and checked the label. Heck If I had not known the pill color

or

shape I would have been the one to cause injury to someone I love.

I got them straightened out then called the Pharmacy and told them of

THEIR Mistake. I got in the car and went to the Pharmacy as they were CONFUSED

about what I was trying to tell them.

Once there I asked them to get all 3 of their Past records being filled

at the SAME Pharmacy we had used for YEARS. First off it was my Son who was 6

or 7 at the time on Just Asthma medications But was given Heart Medications.

This FINALLY caused them to see THEIR Mistake. My Hubby was on Coumadin

which is not a Pill to give to anyone ( Rat Poison) to thin his blood down. My

Father in law well he was on several Meds due to his Heart and lungs and just

being in his 80s. It was a MESS

If I had not known the Color and shape of the pill as this is or should

be the way to detect your normal medication I could have been the hands to

administer the wrong medication.

I made sure their record at the Pharmacy as well as the Dr's office all

RED TAG their files so this would not happen again. Instructing the Drs to

label on the medical chart Joe Sr 1906, Joe Jr 1953, Joe 3 1977. lololol. Name

and Birth year helped alot.

Since has so many Medication Allergies I also make sure it is

HABIT to question at the Pharmacy and at the Dr office of any Allergies.

Before

I leave the Pharmacy.

Robbin

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October 31, 2008

I know mistakes happen and I am the first to forgive them. I am sure all of you

are very cautious with Dr. visits,etc but I have to share what happened

yesterday with my son. Matt is 17 and aging out of his pediatrcians office but

he needed to go yesterday for a severe cough (whooping cough is going around so

I felt it best to take him). After sitting in the lobby for over an hour, the

door opens and the nurse says, " Matt " come on back and we did. She gets his

vitals, goes over the chart, says he needs another hep shot, the pertussis /

tetanus combo and flu mist. She also said he needed a physical. Matt and both

were a bit surprised because he had had most of this less than a year ago. SO,

doc comes in, goes over chart, says same stuff, looks over Matt, determines

nothing serious, season allergy stuff, gives us a scrip and says to wait that

the nurse will be back with injections and do lab work. We wait and while doing

so I check out the scrip (always do) and see Stahl on it! Well that aint

my Matt. Come to find out they had the wrong chart! And despite us raising

concerns over what was happening and being reassured it was all correct, it was

not!!!!!!! After 17 and 1/2 years at the same doc with many of the same staff I

was surprised at such a mistake. I am glad I caught it and all was taken care of

but its still scary. Always, always , always question your suspicions at the

docs.......

Hangin tight!

Donna

October 31, 2008

That's ridiculous! You ought to send a letter to the office manager.

pam

Medical mistakes

> I know mistakes happen and I am the first to forgive them. I am

> sure all of you are very cautious with Dr. visits,etc but I have

> to share what happened yesterday with my son. Matt is 17 and

> aging out of his pediatrcians office but he needed to go

> yesterday for a severe cough (whooping cough is going around so

> I felt it best to take him). After sitting in the lobby for over

> an hour, the door opens and the nurse says, " Matt " come on back

> and we did. She gets his vitals, goes over the chart, says he

> needs another hep shot, the pertussis / tetanus combo and flu

> mist. She also said he needed a physical. Matt and both were a

> bit surprised because he had had most of this less than a year

> ago. SO, doc comes in, goes over chart, says same stuff, looks

> over Matt, determines nothing serious, season allergy stuff,

> gives us a scrip and says to wait that the nurse will be back

> with injections and do lab work. We wait and while doing so I

> check out the scrip (always do) and see Stahl on it!

> Well that aint my Matt. Come to find out they had the

> wrong chart! And despite us raising concerns over what was

> happening and being reassured it was all correct, it was

> not!!!!!!! After 17 and 1/2 years at the same doc with many of

> the same staff I was surprised at such a mistake. I am glad I

> caught it and all was taken care of but its still scary. Always,

> always , always question your suspicions at the docs.......

> Hangin tight!

> Donna

>

October 31, 2008

Oh, my gosh, this happened to us too a little over a year ago! It

was with my son (common names must need to be checked

especially). Isn't it amazing how they assure you that THEY are

right??? It's crazy but I'm with you now --- I always look at the

chart and also get copies of all medical records. Even weirder, I

once ordered all records for my daughter Katharine and they had

another Katharine with the same exact name (first and last) mixed

into all her records! Still wonder if my daughters got accidently

put into the other womans who was actually not even a child...

-Hadley

>

> I know mistakes happen and I am the first to forgive them. I am

sure all of you are very cautious with Dr. visits,etc but I have to

share what happened yesterday with my son. Matt is 17 and aging out

of his pediatrcians office but he needed to go yesterday for a severe

cough (whooping cough is going around so I felt it best to take him).

After sitting in the lobby for over an hour, the door opens and the

nurse says, " Matt " come on back and we did. She gets his vitals, goes

over the chart, says he needs another hep shot, the pertussis /

tetanus combo and flu mist. She also said he needed a physical. Matt

and both were a bit surprised because he had had most of this less

than a year ago. SO, doc comes in, goes over chart, says same stuff,

looks over Matt, determines nothing serious, season allergy stuff,

gives us a scrip and says to wait that the nurse will be back with

injections and do lab work. We wait and while doing so I check out

the scrip (always do) and see Stahl on it! Well that aint my

Matt. Come to find out they had the wrong chart! And despite us

raising concerns over what was happening and being reassured it was

all correct, it was not!!!!!!! After 17 and 1/2 years at the same doc

with many of the same staff I was surprised at such a mistake. I am

glad I caught it and all was taken care of but its still scary.

Always, always , always question your suspicions at the docs.......

> Hangin tight!

> Donna

>

November 1, 2008

Kathy,

At the Hospitals now like if someone is in the ER. You are given a ID

Bracelet which has your name on it as well as DOB. Before anything is done the

nurses have to check the ID. But still I am weary about this. Can they see the

numbers correctly. Or maybe become to busy to make sure of the ID numbers. I

know they ask for your name and check it as well. But if you are knocked out

what then? This is why someone needs to be with anyone going to any Dr at

any time and let them know all info so no mess can happen.

Robbin

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November 2, 2008

You are right to always question when you are not sure about something. It does

not happen often but I am sure it has happened in every clinic at one time or

another. In the clinic where I work, we have many people with the same name,

first and last and a couple that have even the same middle initial and name.? So

far I have not seen any with all of those and the same birthdate as well. We

have many that have very similar names as well, so it is not surprising that

there are those mistages. We have several different checks to make sure that

does not happen but no one is perfect.?It is just like with the pharmacy

mistakenly reading a script for 1 ml and giving the dosage for 1 tsp. Not a huge

difference to look at but a horrible outcome can be done. I try to always look

at my kids scripts when they are new and have been known to ask to see the

script the doctor wrote to compare with the dosage written on the medicine. Most

people think that will never happen to me but once something even close happens

to you or your kiddo, you will never be so lax again.

Veri