Quaid Medical Screwup -- How It Happened

Posted Nov 21st 2007 1:13PM by Celly

Sources tell TMZ that a pharmacy technician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center mistakenly stocked a massive dose of a drug that ended up being given to Dennis Quaid's newborn twins.

Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace are in stable condition. But a well-placed source at Cedars tells us they are "still very concerned because of the bleed out," adding they won't know for another week if the mistake will cause "longterm effects."

Sources tell TMZ that pharmacy technicians stock the drug Heparin, used to prevent clots and flush out IVs. The drug comes in vials -- 10 units for babies, up to 10,000 units for adults. Protocol at the hospital is to keep the different units separated, but a technician accidentally put 10,000 units in the drawer where the 10 units were stored.

Last Sunday, both infants -- born November 8 by surrogate -- were each given two, 10,000-unit dosages. They began to bleed out just before midnight and were transferred to the neo-natal intensive care unit.

Cedars issued a statement last night, acknowledging the mistake and calling it a "preventable error." That's highly unusual. Also, the hospital claims seven patients were given the wrong dosages. Our sources say 13 patients got the wrong dosage.

Filed under: Nurse!, Dennis Quaid


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1. I smell a giant lawsuit brewing.

Posted at 1:18PM on Nov 21st 2007 by DaveGoliath

2. Oh My God, how could that happen to the twin? That hospital is managed poorly. I guess the hospital will be in big touble.

Posted at 1:19PM on Nov 21st 2007 by NudistConnect.com

3. thats gotta suck soooo bad. i know it was only a "mistake" but in the medical world mistakes are not allowed.

http://myspace.com/nemerom

Posted at 1:19PM on Nov 21st 2007 by eyeamtym

4. How awful. How does something like this happen???

Posted at 1:20PM on Nov 21st 2007 by haha suckers...

5. HHMMM....I guess that is what happens when you don't want to "ruin" your body with a pregnancy. If I am not mistaken that is why his wife didn't want to carry a child. They used her eggs and his sperm. Interesting....... Bad Karma, I guess.

Posted at 1:22PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Shit happens...

6. At my hospital..heparin dosages must always be double checked by two RN's. Did they not even look at the bottle? what a preventable mistake

Posted at 1:26PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Stupid mistake

7. I was a trainer for many years at a major Hospital & Clinic. This is not that unusual. You would be suprised how many time careless "mistakes" like this happen. A lot of drug co's also package items like this in identical bottles with very small print. When a caregiver fails to double or even triple check meds this occurs. A lot of people put Doctors and nurses on some "higher level" when in reality all they did was go to college, they have no super powers. They are just people. No matter how much you trust your caregiver, ask questions and check for yourself. If they get offended, find another doctor, Your health and life are not here to feed their ego's.

Posted at 1:26PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Chilly

8. Hope they are ok.

I can't believe even with this story some idiot is saying, "oh, how terrible," and then advertising that stupid nudist site FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME ON TMZ! Ugh - enough already! I hope you get an incorrect dosage next time you are in the hospital!

Posted at 1:30PM on Nov 21st 2007 by duh

9. lawsuit time boooiie!

Posted at 1:31PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Logo Designers

10. Its a damn shame when now we as a nation have to be cautious while recieving care in what we think would be the best place to let our guards down. Those two poor helpless little babies deserve better. Matter of fact, so do the other '13' people who were misdosed. ITS A DAMN SHAME!!!!

Posted at 1:32PM on Nov 21st 2007 by DAMN SHAME

11. FLY ON THE WALL.....please oh please check yourself in to that hospital. We beg you. OD on something so you can be put out of your misery and we no longer have to read your retarded posts. You try to be so funny...not working!

Posted at 1:40PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Fly dies

12. It still falls on the nurse for not checking the dosage before giving it to the infants. I have a handicapped grandchild. We are in and out of the hospital constantly. Incompetence is the rule not the exception. Some think they know you child better than you do. Others just don't give a damn. Yesterday’s soap opera or when they get lunch is far more important. We have had two unnecessary hospitalizations do to there arrogant. My guess is one in ten care/do their job. You just don't here about all the nobodies.

Posted at 1:45PM on Nov 21st 2007 by you know

13. Totally preventable. Even though it is reported the "technician" placed the wrong medication in the drawer, the RN or whomever is amdimistering the medication is ALSO responsible for checking the "5 rights" before giving the medication. Clearly not done for these children.

Posted at 1:47PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Kelly

14. Didn't the nurse who gave the medication have eyes in his/her head? Look at the vial, idiot!

Posted at 1:52PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Karen

15. I spent alot of time at this hospital last summer, and you can be sure...the nurses are all socializing at the front desk most of the time. They might run off, one at a time, here and there...but they are not focused whatsoever. JMHO.

Posted at 1:55PM on Nov 21st 2007 by MaryAnn

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