The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Los Angeles Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. They get the award for the following.

(Los Angeles- AP, November 21, 2007) -- The newborn twins of Dennis Quaid and his wife, Kimberly, were reportedly given an accidental overdose of blood thinner at a hospital.

The celebrity Web site TMZ.com said the actor's children, Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace, were given vials of heparin, used to prevent clotting, that were 1,000 times stronger than what was prescribed. Citing unidentified sources, the site said the children were in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's neonatal intensive care unit.

The hospital apologized Tuesday to the families of three patients involved, but said it could not release the names because of confidentiality laws. It said tests indicated that there were no adverse effects on the patients.

In a statement, Quaid's publicist, Cara Tripicchio, said, "Dennis and Kimberly appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers and hope they can maintain their privacy during this difficult time."

Suanne Buggy, a state Department of Public Health spokeswoman, said the agency is investigating reports of an incident involving newborn twins at the hospital. She did not elaborate.

Cedars-Sinai's chief medical officer, Michael L. Langberg, said in a statement that on Sunday three patients each received vials containing 10,000 units per milliliter of heparin instead of vials with a concentration of 10 units per milliliter.

Once the hospital staff realized the "preventable error," they did tests to measure the patients' blood clotting function, Langberg said Tuesday. One patient's test was normal, but two patients required a drug that reverses the effects of heparin, he said.

Further tests on the two "indicated no adverse effects from the higher concentration of heparin," Langberg said. "Doctors continue to monitor the patients."

What Cedars Sinai did is inexcusable. Hospitals looking to save money, give their employees larger and larger workloads. Patients end up suffering and in this case dying. Hospitals then take measures afterwards to prevent these errors. The root cause is still there.

As to the Quaid twins, such a massive overdose can have severe consequences. Premature babies are prone to brain bleeds. Heparin is an anti-clogging drug. The babies could end up living but be vegetables for life.

Note- I haven't kept up with the Quaid story. Maybe the children are doing well, and I certainly pray for their recovery.

For medical incompetence with dangerous drugs, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Linked to- Adam, Blue Star, Bright & Early, Church and State, Jo, Leaning Straight Up, Morewhat, Perri Nelson, Pirate's Cove, Populist, Pursuing Holiness, Right Voices, Right Wing Nation, Rosemary, Samantha Burns, Stuck on Stupid, Third World County, The World According to Carl, Woman Honor Thyself, Yankee Sailor,