MovieChat Forums > Dennis Quaid Discussion > Why were his twins given heparin at all?

Why were his twins given heparin at all?

posted 17 years ago by phkasenetz
9 replies | jump to latest

I don't understand why newborns would need heaprin unless they were coagulopathic. Did the twins have an underlying medical condition? I didn't know it was standard to be giving infants heparin. Usually, heparin is given when there is concern for excessive clotting, or when it is used to flush or lock a line. Does someone know the indications for giving heparin in newborns (and I can't imagine that it would include DVT prophylaxis)? This entire ordeal makes me think that the kids ahve some sort of blood disorder or that they were being given heparin because they were in the NICU for other severe medical problems...

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[–] Roadrunner34 17 years ago

They had staph infections and were admitted to Cedars Sinai for antibiotic treatment. They should have been given Heplock to flush out their IV's instead of the Heparin. That is where the critical mistake occurred. The pharmacy tech stored Heparin on the pediatric floor instead of Heplock. Then the nurse administering the drug failed to read the label before injecting it into the twins. Not once did the nurse do this, but twice eight hours apart.

[–] phkasenetz 16 years ago

Thanks. That make sense.

[–] MerylStreeplove4 16 years ago

That's terrible, you can't make mistakes like that for newborns. Hopefully their alright now, but I think it's great that's he'll move out of hollywood, but let his oldest son finish high school next year, being his oldest is a few months older than me.

"You Mean Me?!"- Death Becomes Her- Meryl Streep

[–] LaraCroftLegacy 16 years ago

hope his twins babies are okay and hopefully the nurse who screw up got fired for it

DarkAlessa now the end of day and Iam the Reaper:silent hill

[–] MarkSJans 16 years ago

not the nurses fault really.
try be a nurse once in your life, and you would know how idiotic u sound right now.

people especially in the US medical system are overworked underpaid and hospitals are seriously understaffed, this is the fault of not having a proper health-care system! not the fault of one single person.

[–] DenLilleHavfrue85 13 years ago

It's still the freaking nurse's fault. Not the only one to blame, of course, but he/she could have prevented that from happening for sure. I understand that nurses are overworked, absolutely, but to say that the nurse isn't at all to blame is ridiculous. That being said, mistakes do happen. Doctors and nurses are human. But they are held to a higher standard, and rightly so, because lives are in their hands.

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful."