Hospital Safeguards
Posted by: Tricia
17th Feb 2012 08:15pm
Is any one else finding that the standard of care is deminishing in our public.hospitals? I recently had my father in a large Melbourne public hospital with he has been in many times over last 20 years. Yet on this ocvasion it would have been the worst previosly they have attempted to give him drugs he is allergic to. This time however even though he had a red band to indicate drug allergery , the information was also given in the ED and he has s book documenting all his health history left on the side of his locker and I saw at least 4 Doctor take it to read I found out on his discharge they had given him 3 penicillian tablets dispite the information should have been in hospitial pharmacy computer also his history yet ever dafe guard had been over looked he was very lucky it did not kill him as it is a long standing allergy of over 40 years.Has anyone else had a similar experianve? It is certainly not good enoungh.
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Comments 2
kfactor
Very well said. I'm so sorry that your father was put through this ordeal concerning his medication. Like him, I carry my medical history with me every time I leave the house. I update it regularly especially when medication is concerned. However even though I show the emergency department staff my document, they still want to give me the medications that I am totally allergic to. No wonder people have terrible experiences. If the staff can't read or listen to the patients, then they shouldn't be working in that environment. I ask for 2 of the red allergy alert bands, as well as the medic alert bracelet I never take off. This kind of treatment is totally unacceptable, especially when a slip of medication or dose can lead to heart failure, or even death!
singham
I am very sorry to hear about your father"s case.I agree that most of the doctors are making mistakes like this,but you should have been more careful. You have the right to check or question a doctor or a nurse before the medicine is adminis-
tered. I am having a sickness (polysythemia/Thrombosis) & diabetes for the last
15 years and I am more careful when the doctor prescribe a medicine. I always
double check with the pharmacy and another do ctor before I consume medicine..
I am well aware there are various doctors/nurses making mistakes like this but as a patient we should be more careful.