Heparin is linked to infant death. Are Kansas City hospitals taking the proper precautions with this dangerous drug?

Heparin is a blood thinner that is used to prevent blood clots from forming in veins, arteries or lungs. It is used in dialysis and cardiac catheterization, as well as other procedures. It also used before surgery to reduce the risk of blood clot.

Heparin may have contributed to the death of a toddler in a Nebraska Hospital last week. The two year old received an overdose of Heparin after a multi organ transplant. However, this is not the first time the drug has been linked to deaths in young children.

In 2007, actor Dennis Quaid lost his newborn twins after they received an overdose of Heparin in a California hospital. In 2006, six babies in Indiana received overdoses. Three of them died.

The problem is that Heparin is available in several different concentrations: 10, 100, 1,000 and 10,000 units per milliliter. The vials look identical except for the label. It is easy for a nurse who is distracted or busy to make a mistake. This is what happened to Dennis Quaid’s twins. They were mistakenly given 1,000 times the dose they were prescribed. And, when babies are given an overdose of Heparin, the blood vessels in their brains can burst.

Some hospitals are now taking precautions to ensure that mistakes with Heparin dosage are not made. They may require more than one nurse to be present, so the dose is double checked. Some are barcoding medication vials (to match a bar code on the patient) and preloading syringes to avoid medication errors. Other hospitals are using computers to determine dosages and check the dose with patient’s history.There are also infusion pumps or “smart pumps” that can limit the amount of medication dispensed.

In 2009, the FDA set new standards for Heparin. They decreased the potency and suggested that patients given Heparin receive additional monitoring. Heparin is now 10% less potent than it was before the new standards took effect, so doctors may prescribe higher dosages.

Medication errors and dangerous drugs effect millions of Americans every year. If your loved one is a victim of a medication mistake made in a Kansas City hospital, contact the Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys. We represent victims of medical malpractice throughout Missouri and Kansas. You have rights, and we can help you.

To learn more, request our free book: The Truth About Medical Malpractice Claims.

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Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys
1102 Grand Blvd., Ste 1901
Kansas City, MO 64106
Phone: 816-471-5111
Toll Free: 888-348-2616
Get Directions

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