Drug Overdose

[ms_southpaw]

Georgia

My Father, who was diagonosed with Multiple Myeloma one year ago was prescibed 3 times the normal doasage for some anti siezure medication. It was taken for over a week at triple the dosage before he was admitted to the hospital with every imaginable symptom of an over dose. The presciption was written incorrectly as well as his discharge papers from the previous hospital stay. All signed and approved by his Oncologist. We went to the pharmacist and checked the original perscription and it was indeed written incorrectly. All were written for 300mg 3 times a day when the ER doctor told us the normal is 100mg 3 times a day. He is terminally ill and very sick....but this incident has caused antoher hospital stay as well as the toll it has taken on his already weak body. Do we have a case?

LeeAnn
GeorgiaWhat is the name of your state?

 

[weenor]

Only if you can find an expert to testify that the prescribing doctor and/or the pharmacy breached the standard of care under Georgia law and only if you can show damages as a result of the overdose.

 

[rmet4nzkx]

exactly what medication? and the exact wording of the directions? Do you have a copy of the original script, if not get one, it could be the pharmacy error. Did they consult with your dad before she started taking it?

 

[ms_southpaw]

It was the Charge Nurse in the ER who said the levels of Delantin in his system were dangerously high. We have the original persciption as well as the discharge papers from his prevoius hospital stay that show the perscibed amount. What type of damages would need to be proven? He is still siezing and remains in the hospital. Does someone have to die to prove negligence? He is dying already and had planned very well to have the best of care if needed. The physician perscibed a dangerous amount of medication in error.

 

[ellencee]

Georgia

My Father, who was diagonosed with Multiple Myeloma one year ago was prescibed 3 times the normal doasage for some anti siezure medication. It was taken for over a week at triple the dosage before he was admitted to the hospital with every imaginable symptom of an over dose. The presciption was written incorrectly as well as his discharge papers from the previous hospital stay. All signed and approved by his Oncologist. We went to the pharmacist and checked the original perscription and it was indeed written incorrectly. All were written for 300mg 3 times a day when the ER doctor told us the normal is 100mg 3 times a day. He is terminally ill and very sick....but this incident has caused antoher hospital stay as well as the toll it has taken on his already weak body. Do we have a case?

LeeAnn
GeorgiaWhat is the name of your state?

If your father did not have malignant multiple myeloma, a maximum dosage of Dilantin in a 24-hour period is recommended to be no more than 600mg per 24-hour period, given in divided doses; however, in the presence of concurrent treatments with antineoplastic medications, the absorption and benefits of Dilantin are decreased and a higher than 'normal' dose of Dilantin is required in order to achieve therapeutic benefits.

It is unfortunate that the ER nurse and physician are not aware of the effect of antineoplastic agents on Dilantin absorption and action.

It is not unusual for patients receiving Dilantin to have difficulty adjusting to the medication regimen. Patients often present with elevated serum levels of Dilantin and symptoms of toxicity. Equally prevalent are patients who present with seizure activity related to below therapeutic serum levels of Dilantin.

I seriously doubt the oncologist or the pharmacist were negligent or that any damage is the result of negligence. The only negligent professionals that I identify are the ER nurse and MD; their ignorance has made your emotional stress worse and has made you doubt the competence of your father's oncologist. Shame on them.

EC

 

[counselike]

that's a serious case, you shud sue them.

 

[ellencee]

[counselike]that's a serious case, you shud sue them.

It's deja vu!
EC

 

[rmet4nzkx]

It's deja vu!
EC

All over again!