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The Snowball Effect: How Medication Errors Can Lead To Tragedy

December 24, 2014 Blog Post by Barry G. Doyle

Few medical mistakes have a way of spiraling out of control like the simple medication error. It’s because of this that medications in nursing homes and hospitals can only be administered by a medical staff member who has been licensed as a nurse.

An excellent example of why it’s so vitally important to prevent medication errors is illustrated in a recent report by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) regarding the Washington Christian Village nursing home in Washington, Illinois.

A resident entered the nursing home from the hospital with a series of medical conditions and cognitive problems. The resident’s doctor ordered a medical treatment to be given only on the day of admission, and for a series of further blood tests to be taken for the next several weeks.

The staff at Washington Christian Village failed to provide the medication on the date of admission. Instead, they administered the drug every day for the next five days. Needless to say, the medication caused serious fluctuations in the blood tests that were taken. The medication caused bleeding and other symptoms.

The resident was once again admitted to the hospital, and the oversight was discovered. The resident’s doctor stated to IDPH officials that “this was a significant medication error. They didn’t follow the admission orders.”

Medication errors often snowball because

1. Symptoms caused by the error can easily be misconstrued by physicians who are not given correct information.

2. Additional drugs or treatments can be prescribed to combat these symptoms.

3. These new treatments can cause reactions with the initial medications.

This cycle can quickly spin out of control.

If you have a loved one in an Illinois nursing home who has been injured as a result of a medication error, contact our Chicago nursing home lawyers for a free and confidential evaluation of your case.

Thank you for reading.

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Practice Areas

  • Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
  • Nursing Home Falls
  • Bed Sores / Pressure Ulcers
  • Medication Errors
  • Dehydration and Malnutrition
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