The family has asked that they not be identified by name as they grieve the loss of their family member lost to a massive overdose of the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil. Last week, a 43-year-old mother of three, died from a massive chemotherapy drug overdose mistakenly administered by a portable pump used primarily by gastrointestinal, genito-urinary and head and neck cancer patients. The fatal dose of 5-fluorouracil was 24 times what was intended. According to the report, a nurse programmed the wrong information into the woman's pump. Another nurse checked the pump but failed to notice the error. Four days later, the woman was dead. The Cross Cancer Institute calls this mistake one of the center's worst nightmares but they will not hide the mistake.
While the nurses who made the error are receiving counseling over the mistake they made that led to the mother's death, they will not be disciplined for the error, as the cancer center believes it was not due to negligence. Then what was it due to? There are times when human error cannot be allowed to be made as it can be fatal -- as in this case. There are some professions that require an absolute fail-safe set of procedures and practices that do not allow for human error. A standard of professional excellence in carrying out one's job that this type of incident does not happen -- even once. Because human life can be lost. How do you remedy that error -- right that wrong? I feel for this family, for the children left motherless due to the errors made by two nurses.
According to the woman's oncologist, she had a 75 percent chance of surviving her cancer diagnosis. Tragically, she did not survive treatment. An investigation by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices is underway, and the cancer center states it will implement any changes recommended.
1. I will add to that, as my dear wife had to go through surgery twice. She had colon cancer, surgey was performed and went through her seris of chemo through her implanted Port. Checking results after her chemo treatments found that there was one cancer cell lodged on her liver. We chose to take her to a Tampa Florida known Moffett Cancer clinic for this type of surgery. Her surgery was a success but chemo treatments were recomended again. Returned home to our local hospital to Southern Florida for cehmo treatment. A Port was again implanted for Chemo transfusions.At the end of her first chemo treatment she got violently sick. When she went in for her 2nd Chemo treatment the nurse went to flush her Port and found that she drew several large containers of bloody watery fluids. She refused to go ahead with my wife's chemo treatment without her being checked as to why she drew such fluids. They did a seris of X/Ray Cat Scans and found that the Port was put in with the injections going into her chest cavity's. Chemo was stopped an she than had to go into surgery again and have the Port removed and implanted again. There was a delay of a months chemo treatments. She now is going in for her final treatment. But she expierenced Hell with her Chemo treatments. Now we will be waiting for the results. Billions for Wars and funds to build bridges in Alaska to no where, but dening our scientest funds to find a more secure cure for such a disease that is ravaging our love ones.With colition groups Pied Pipers in our Congress and White House denying our scientest the right to move on with their research.What a mess this country is in?
Posted at 10:01AM on Sep 2nd 2006 by JBA