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Multiple Failures by Cedars-Sinai Led to Heparin Overdose of Dennis Quaid?s Twins, Says State Probe

By Jack Lebowitz, Esq. and Vadim Mzhen, Esq.

Movie star Dennis Quaid says that Cedars Sinai Medical Center was not forthcoming about its role in the accidental Heparin overdose of his newborn twins.

. Quaid?s allegations follows the California Department of Public Health?s release of a 20-page report regarding the medical center?s handling of pediatric patients.

In the report, state inspectors accused Cedars-Sinai of multiple failures in the incident, including its failure to follow set rules and procedures when administering medication. California inspectors found that the center?s unsafe medication practices put all of its patients at risk of injury or death.

Other errors cited in the report included the failure by Cedars-Sinai pharmacy technicians and nurses to check product labels before dispensing Heparin and not keeping up-to-date and thorough records of when the drug was administered. Cedars-Sinai has 10 days to respond to the report.

Quaid?s son and daughter were administered overdoses of Heparin, a blood thinner, because they were given the wrong doses. The vial of Heparin that each twin was administered had 10,000 united per millimeter of the medication?the dosage used for adults?rather than the 10 units prescribed for infants.

Now, however, new information reveals that the twins were overdosed a second time within an eight hour period.The twins had to be treated with protamine to reverse Heparin?s effects.

Quaid and his wife Kimberly have already filed a products liability lawsuit against Baxter Healthcare, the drug maker of Heparin. The lawsuit claims that the similar packaging of the different doses makes it easy for hospital workers to mix one dose with the other.

If you or your child was injured at a Maryland or Washington D.C. hospital because of a prescription overdose caused by the negligence of a doctor, nurse, medical technician, or any other health care provider you should contact a medical malpractice law firm immediately.

State cites safety drug lapses at Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles Times, January 10, 2007

Drug mix-up outrageous, says Quaid, The Press Association, January 10, 2007

Related Web Resources:

Heparin Injection, MedlinePlus

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Full post as published by Maryland Accident Law Blog on January 10, 2008 (boomark / email).