Safe Patient Project: Story http://www.safepatientproject.org/content_type/story/ The Safe Patient Project is a Consumers Union campaign focused on eliminating medical harm, improving FDA oversight of prescription drugs and promoting disclosure laws that give information to consumers about health care safety and quality. en Copyright 2010 Mon, 17 May 2010 17:01:01 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Brother bled to death from central line medical error ginger_of_monee_illinois.jpeg

On June 9, 2008, my brother, Kenneth Novak died due to the terrible mistake of two anesthesiologists at a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, FL. While central lines were being placed into his internal jugular vein to prepare for a liver transplant, the catheter/needle was advanced too far, perforating both the jugular and right subclavian artery. My brother bled to death.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2010/05/brother_bled_to_death_from_cen.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2010/05/brother_bled_to_death_from_cen.html Story Mon, 17 May 2010 17:01:01 -0600 Surgical error during biopsy left me permanently blind On September 30 of 1991, a simple forceps biopsy was performed (in my chest of a massive 13cm tumor) to diagnose, and/or grade and stage Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A surgical accident occured during this biopsy

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/10/holly_of_san_diego_california.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/10/holly_of_san_diego_california.html Story Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:16:00 -0600 Experience Serious Side Effects from Sedative Medication The surgeon was not prepared for my sedative needs, did not listen to my request of what to give me, and because I was holding up the Endoscopic Unit, he called for an anesthesiologist I had never met. He never asked a single question, nor did he check out my charts. He simply injected me with Propofol, without the Lidocaine to ease the pain. I was in hell, and then out for a quick intubation. As a heart patient with all the symptoms from that, I should not have had Propofol. I woke up coughing my guts and lungs up as they extubated me. I was on the other side of the hospital in the main recovery area. Neither doctor came to tell me what happened and what might happen later.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/09/marylee_of_edinburg_texas.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/09/marylee_of_edinburg_texas.html Story Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:28:00 -0600 My Hospital Infection Nightmare In November 2006, following a medical procedure, I came down with a 104 fever with an extreme headache. Informing the doctor of my symptoms, I was told I had probably caught a ‘flu bug’ and to wait it out until my post-op appointment two weeks later.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/08/tracey_of_aliso_viejo_california.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/08/tracey_of_aliso_viejo_california.html Story Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:49:00 -0600 Hospital didn't inform patient about sedative drug I was involved in a motor vehicle accident. I arrived at the hospital alert but with a dislocated hip and a fractured ankle. At the time of treatment I was told they needed x-rays and I would be getting something for pain.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/08/linda_of_fulton_new_york.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/08/linda_of_fulton_new_york.html Story Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:25:00 -0600 Mother and Son Experience Different Medical Errors In January 2007 I underwent cabx5, an aneurysm repair in left ventricle of my heart, where a bi-ventricular pacemaker was inserted. According to my medical records, my doctor found the aneurysm in the left ventricle in 2004, and in 2005 in the stress test, and never told me about it. I am permanently disabled.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/08/glen_of_paris_texas.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/08/glen_of_paris_texas.html Story Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:02:00 -0600 Father Given Wrong Dosage of Life Threatening Medication In 2008, my Dad was in a local hospital where he was given a sulfa medication, despite the fact that he was wearing a red wrist band warning about his well-documented life-threatening sulfa allergy, and despite that many medical references do not support this off-label use of the drug in my Dad's medical condition. Furthermore, without an emergency, the doctor and the nurses never informed my Dad or me (his medical power of attorney at the hospital 24/7) about the drug being a sulfa drug, or any of its risks. We even repeatedly asked the doctor about the drug risks before its administration. Yet the doctor withheld all this critical drug information, and lied about the drug risks (which turned out to be significant to my Dad). We later learned that there was also a plan to monitor my Dad after the first dose to watch for an anaphylactic drug reaction. But no one told us anything about this monitoring plan, even after my Dad showed signs of a serious drug reaction.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/08/yanling_of_seattle_washington.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/08/yanling_of_seattle_washington.html Story Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:31:00 -0600 Given Three Times The Correct Dosage Of Medication I received the wrong dosage of Lupron Depot after my shot was sent to the wrong doctor’s office. The nurse said they had an extra one on-site and gave me that one instead. I asked her if it was the 3.75 dose before she gave it to me, and she said yes. After the nurse gave me the shot, she realized it was the wrong dose and was actually the 11.25 shot...

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/teri_of_las_vegas_nevada.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/teri_of_las_vegas_nevada.html Story Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:02:00 -0600 Lisa Baker of Albany, New York In 2003, my wife, Lisa, age 42, an insulin-dependent diabetic, collapsed into a coma while in a hospital. At the time she was discovered she had no pulse and was not breathing and her blood glucose level was almost non-existent at 2mg/dL.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/lisa_baker_of_albany_new_york.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/lisa_baker_of_albany_new_york.html Story Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:13:00 -0600 Daryl of Waco, Texas For two years (2006-2008) I was in the ER repeatedly with vomiting, pain, etc. I saw a physician in their facility on an outpatient basis. I eventually suffered arrhythmias, multiple episodes of aspiration pneumonia, and was even referred to psychiatric help.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/daryl_of_waco_texas.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/daryl_of_waco_texas.html Story Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:25:00 -0600 Toe Surgery Gone Wrong At an ambulatory center I had surgery from a podiatrist/surgeon on the right big toe—because of arthritis, it turns out. She crippled me; because the surgery was not successful, she did a redo resulting in the partial amputation of the large toe, making it about one and a half inches shorter than it was before the first of 2 surgeries. During the second operation I woke up and could feel that I was being stitched up, and I cried out. I was then given more medication to keep me sedated until she was finished, ruining my foot and causing me to have a reduced quality of life for the last 9 years.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/name_withheld.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/name_withheld.html Story Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:40:00 -0600 Beverly of Hurst, Texas After undergoing a carotid endarterectomy, I began seeing double. I phoned my surgeon and he told me to get an eye patch. What he should have done was tell me to get to the hospital STAT

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/beverly_of_hurst_texas.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/beverly_of_hurst_texas.html Story Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:05:00 -0600 Not told about risks of chiropractic procedure On November 14, 2003, I suffered two brainstem strokes after having an upper neck manipulation. Initially, I lost speech, feeling in my right side, had a facial droop and slurred speech. When admitted to the stroke center, I found out that this is a known risk of chiropractic upper neck manipulations.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/christa_of_mahopac_new_york.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/christa_of_mahopac_new_york.html Story Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:46:00 -0600 George of Redmond, Washington The doctor was supposed to be replacing a stomach feeding tube (goes through the stomach wall, for people who can't chew/swallow properly). He didn't understand the procedure for removing the old tube, got frustrated, and ripped it out by force.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/george_of_redmond_washington.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/george_of_redmond_washington.html Story Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:34:00 -0600 Elizabeth of Umatilla, Oregon In 1976 I had my back operated on (because I had a ruptured disk) and the doctor fused my back wrong. In 1978, a neurologist tried to fix it, but the damage was too extensive. I have had chronic pain every since.

]]> http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/elizabeth_of_umatilla_oregon.html http://www.safepatientproject.org/2009/07/elizabeth_of_umatilla_oregon.html Story Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:32:00 -0600