topic Re: Medical Errors in Community Chat

Medical Errors

asoutherngirl — Thu, 05 May 2016 15:04:31 GMT

As one who has spent the last 21 years of her life in hospitals, ERs, and ICUs, I may be qualified to make a statement about medical errors: they DO happen and happen often. My first experience occurred in the local ER, when a doctor, who was well familiar with me accidentally gave me a shot containing a drug he knew I was allergic to. The medication stopped my heart, I ceased breathing, and had my daughter not been present in the room, I would have been left to die, as no one came back to check on me.My daughter ran through the ER to find the doctor and the nurse who administered the shot. She then ran back to my room where my "mentally challenged" daughter began CPR on me until staff arrived to restart my heart and intubate me. I awoke in ICU two days later on a respirator, hearing my daughter read to to me from the Old Testament. I found out that the hospital staff had bent some rules and allowed her to to sleep in a chair and brought three meals a day to her. I was told that staff had been so impessed with her that they could not have her leave my side. A terrible mistake, yes. A lesson in hope, faith, and , love, oh yes.

Re: Medical Errors

Kookielady — Thu, 05 May 2016 15:13:25 GMT

When I read your post I was so emotionally moved. I am hoping that your future days live in peace and health.

May God bless your wonderful daughter for being with you at that time.

Happy Mom's Day!

Re: Medical Errors

dex — Thu, 05 May 2016 15:20:01 GMT

That was a very horrific experience for you and lucky for the doctor that your daughter was there and he was given the information in time.I bet that was so stressful for everyone.

21 years of medical problems is a lot to endure.I hope that most of that time you were able to carry on with your life and weren't bedridden.

Re: Medical Errors

DiAnne — Thu, 05 May 2016 15:31:08 GMT

I worked in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities my whole career (not a nurse). Med errors are not unusual. They let staff work long shifts or double shifts (by choice) and I am sure this does not help.

Re: Medical Errors

twinkies — Thu, 05 May 2016 15:40:50 GMT

Your daughters love for you helped her sense someone made a terrible mistake and she no bdoubt saved your life! god bess her!

Cathy from ma

Re: Medical Errors

chrystaltree — Thu, 05 May 2016 16:31:47 GMT

There is no shortage of stories like that. Medical errors are unavoidable, they have always ocurred and always will ocurr. Hospitals are well aware of that, they do their best to avoid them and to keep them to a minimum. But since they have to staff their floors and clinics with humans, unfortunate things happen. However the vast majority of medical errors do not lead to death or serious injury and are caught quickly. Yeah, it happened to me, more than once. And I'm an expert in such things. I had gastrointestinal surgery years ago and I knew that I would be on a clear liquid diet for several days after the surgery. I new that. My doc told me prior to surgery and I knew myself as a matter of common sense. Yet, a day after surgery while I was still a little out of it, hubby went home for nap and shower (he's an RN) and some nurse came in and insisted I had to eat something. I clearly told her that I was on clear liquids and she said, no your doctor wants you on Carnation Instant Breakfst for nourishment. I didn't fight her, I drank it slowly through a straw and a few minutes later started hemorrhaging blood! I thought I was going to die. They called a code and the team came running and I threw me into the recliner and stuck an ngt in to suction the blood and it was back to the OR for repairs. Yes, my surgeon was absolutely furious as furious as my husband was. My chart clearly read clear liquids and no one knew where that nurse got Carnation Instant Breakfast from. We assume she confused me with some other patient. What was supposed to be surgery and a 4 day inpatient stay morphed into two surgeries and an 11 day stay due to medical error. And this is one of the most prestigious hospitals in the world! Being in healthcare finance, I knew enough to contact my insurance company to make them aware of the situation so that they would pay the hospital for any charges directly related to the hospital's error. I was adamant about that. Another time, during a different hospitalization, I was prescribed a medication that I KNEW should never be given to patient who was on the thyroid med I was on. I refused and the nurse took hissy fit and flounced off with "your doctor won't like this!!!!". Well, actually he liked my refusal a lot. The resident on overnigts had prescribed the med and since neither the resident nor pharmacy paid any attention to the "flag" that popped up on their automated rx ordering system. The $$$$$ automated system did it's job. Warning! Danger drug interactions! But the humans either ignored it or didn't see it. Yes, we all have to be vigilant and blah blah blah. There is also a reason why most hospitals today encourage a family member or friend to stay with patients. The hospital I work for no longer has wards or shared rooms. All rooms are private and every room comes with a chair that converts to a comfortable single bed. Ostensibly the reason is that patients feel more secure and therefore recover quicker when a loved one is with them but I think a part of it is that patients need someone looking out for them.

Re: Medical Errors

petunia — Thu, 05 May 2016 17:04:21 GMT

Yes, I sure can tell you this is VERY true!

I had to have a hip replacement, and it was done.

7 months later, after dislocations 5 times, he said that he had put in too small a hip and back to surgery I went for a larger one.

Add to that the fact that between all of these procedures, I developed sepsis 2 times!

Once, nearly died.

Re: Medical Errors

Zhills — Thu, 05 May 2016 17:23:58 GMT

Yes, unfortunately, medical errors do occur and always will!

God did not create each human body the same and he never sent a "how to" with a new baby!

Life is a lot of trial & error, in all areas!

I thank God that many have chosen to "practice" medicine. They have saved many lives and aleviated much pain! Can't image a life without them.

Re: Medical Errors

hopi — Thu, 05 May 2016 17:54:38 GMT

@Zhills wrote:
Yes, unfortunately, medical errors do occur and always will!

God did not create each human body the same and he never sent a "how to" with a new baby!

Life is a lot of trial & error, in all areas!

I thank God that many have chosen to "practice" medicine. They have saved many lives and aleviated much pain! Can't image a life without them.

Thank God for all who lost their lives so yours could be saved and your pain alleviated. There are good doctors and good medicines just to many inept providers and money hungry pharmaceuticals.

Re: Medical Errors

Noel7 — Thu, 05 May 2016 17:57:20 GMT

@asoutherngirl

OMG, your daughter is a hero, she saved your life. She is amazing

I know how you feel about what she did, my daughter also saved my life and would not leave my side.

You and I are so lucky

Re: Medical Errors

RetRN — Thu, 05 May 2016 18:26:55 GMT

I was an RN working in hospitals for 40 yrs. in ICU and oncology. I will tell you this--medical errors are grossly UNDER reported. I have not only seen sponges left in patients, but even forceps. I recommend anyone who needs to be hospitalized have someone stay with them whenever possible.

Re: Medical Errors

asoutherngirl — Thu, 05 May 2016 18:44:04 GMT

I would like to thank all of you who responded to my daughter's actions the day I "died" in the ER. I have read your comments to her and she is so very pleased to think that people unknown to her would think so well of her. She had only recently learned CPR from the local police station where she took a volunteer's course and finished first in her class.

Re: Medical Errors

RetRN — Thu, 05 May 2016 18:47:20 GMT

Your daughter is a wonderful human being. Kudos to her.

Re: Medical Errors

Nightowlz — Thu, 05 May 2016 19:22:18 GMT

Good thing your daughter was there & able to get you some help.

They gave my dad a shot of penicillin which he' allergic to. Right after they gave him the shot the medic knew what was wrong & ran out of the room yelling for some help. They worked on my dad even pronounced him dead. Dad said he was floating up above his body watching everything. The doctors working on him said if you are still with us you need to do something to let us know. Dad said he could not move. One of his eyes finally had movement that they saw. Guess if he was gone most of us kids would not be here either.

Re: Medical Errors

Reba055 — Thu, 05 May 2016 19:56:35 GMT

@Nightowlz wrote:
Good thing your daughter was there & able to get you some help.
They gave my dad a shot of penicillin which he' allergic to. Right after they gave him the shot the medic knew what was wrong & ran out of the room yelling for some help. They worked on my dad even pronounced him dead. Dad said he was floating up above his body watching everything. The doctors working on him said if you are still with us you need to do something to let us know. Dad said he could not move. One of his eyes finally had movement that they saw. Guess if he was gone most of us kids would not be here either.

@Nightowlz That's so weird. I know someone who had the exact experience. I wonder if there is something about penicillin that causes the "floating above looking down" reaction.

Re: Medical Errors

MaggieMack — Thu, 05 May 2016 20:05:52 GMT

@Reba055, I don't know that an experience like that is penicillin-related. When I was 20, I had heat stroke while riding my bike, and as I was falling to the asphalt, I was out of my body watching it all happen. Surreal. Awoke in the hospital with a shaved head and many stitches, got there by an ambulance ride I wasn't conscious for. I think the experience is more related to being inches or seconds away from death.

Re: Medical Errors

hckynut — Thu, 05 May 2016 21:12:56 GMT

@RetRN wrote:

I recommend anyone who needs to be hospitalized have someone stay with them whenever possible.

have someone stay with me? no thanks

hnj

Re: Medical Errors

goldensrbest — Thu, 05 May 2016 21:57:18 GMT

My son shane ,died because of a medical mistake, when having his below knee left leg amputated, a specialist was to be in the operating room, and a screen was to be put in his lower body,in case a blood clot would happen, he suffered a embolism,that went to his brain.

Re: Medical Errors

YorkieonmyPillow — Thu, 05 May 2016 22:15:32 GMT

@goldensrbest wrote:
My son shane ,died because of a medical mistake, when having his below knee left leg amputated, a specialist was to be in the operating room, and a screen was to be put in his lower body,in case a blood clot would happen, he suffered a embolism,that went to his brain.

OMG, how terrible! What a horrific thing to happen to your son and yourself. I'm so sorry!

Re: Medical Errors

PenneyT — Thu, 05 May 2016 22:17:00 GMT

@goldensrbest wrote:
My son shane ,died because of a medical mistake, when having his below knee left leg amputated, a specialist was to be in the operating room, and a screen was to be put in his lower body,in case a blood clot would happen, he suffered a embolism,that went to his brain.

I'm so sorry.