Nurse expert witness advises on case involving a hospital patient who received wrong medication

ByKristin Casler

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Updated onSeptember 26, 2017

Nurse expert witness advises on case involving a hospital patient who received wrong medication

A nurse expert witness advises on a case involving a hospital patient, located in North Dakota, who was admitted to the defendant hospital for a fracture. The treating physician wrote orders for the plaintiff’s treatment and care, including medication orders. The medication orders included, but were not limited to, an order for hydrocortisone pills twice a day. The plaintiff had been using hydrocortisone to regulate his pituitary gland for about 40 years.

The plaintiff alleges that the hospital pharmacy transcribed the hydrocortisone order as hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic, and dispensed it. The plaintiff asserts that the nursing staff failed to recognize the error on the record and administered it. The plaintiff received the incorrect medication for three days before the error was discovered.

One day after beginning the medication, the plaintiff experienced a hypotensive episode and was transferred to the cardiac care unit. The plaintiff suffered heart failure and has suffered a diminished life capacity.

The plaintiff asserts claims for negligence and professional negligence, contending a prudent nursing staff would have appropriately transcribed the physician’s orders, would have recognized the transcription error and would not have administered the wrong medication.

Plaintiff asserts that he has endured great amounts of pain and suffering and will continue to do so, has incurred significant medical expenses, has sustained loss of enjoyment of life, has endured mental anguish and emotional distress and has remained in a weakened physical state and will continue to experience the same and other miscellaneous and economic damages.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

What is the standard of care and was it breached?

Expert Witness Response

inline imageIn my medical opinion, the applicable standard of nursing care was to appropriately and accurately verify the pre-printed medication sheets with the physician's orders, as well as verify the appropriate medications prior to administration and to act in a responsible manner for the total well-being of the patient. The applicable standard of care was breached by the hospital nursing care providers. The actions that should have been taken or omitted in order to comply with the standard of care consisted of the following:

inline image• That the pre-printed medication sheets should have been cross-checked with the physician's orders to verify their accuracy

inline image• The medications administered should have been verified with the physician's orders

inline image• To act in a responsible manner for the total well-being of the patient

inline imageAs a result of the breach of the standard of practice, the plaintiff received the wrong medication causing significant sequelae.

inline imageThe expert is a registered nurse.

About the author

Kristin Casler

Kristin Casler

Kristin Casler is a seasoned legal writer and journalist with an extensive background in litigation news coverage. For 17 years, she served as the editor for LexisNexis Mealey’s litigation news monitor, a role that positioned her at the forefront of reporting on pivotal legal developments. Her expertise includes covering cases related to the Supreme Court's expert admissibility ruling in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc., a critical area in both civil and criminal litigation concerning the challenges of 'junk science' testimony.

Kristin's work primarily involves reporting on a diverse range of legal subjects, with particular emphasis on cases in asbestos litigation, insurance, personal injury, antitrust, mortgage lending, and testimony issues in conviction cases. Her contributions as a journalist have been instrumental in providing in-depth, informed analysis on the evolving landscape of these complex legal areas. Her ability to dissect and communicate intricate legal proceedings and rulings makes her a valuable resource in the legal journalism field.

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