Insulin-heparin mix-ups have been reported in U.S. hospitals. What happens is nurses grab a vial of insulin thinking it is heparin and add it to an I.V. solution. As reported in the November issue of Nursing, in at least 2 cases infants died after receiving insulin mistakenly added to parenteral nutrition (PN) infusions.

When an infant is given insulin instead of heparin, the baby may experience hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia occurs when a person's blood glucose (blood sugar) level drops too low to provide enough energy for the person's body's activities. Severe hypoglycemia can cause an infant to lose consciousness.

We encourage parents to be advocates for their hospitalized children. This includes knowing what medications the child is supposed to be getting and making sure that the child is indeed getting those medications in the correct dosages.

However, when something like the insulin-heparin medication error happens, parents need to understand that it is not their fault. It is the hospital’s responsibility to give patients the correct medication. Because evidence in a medication error case needs to be quickly gathered and preserved, it is important to contact a lawyer as soon as possible. To contact a lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohonen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form on the right-hand corner of this page.

Reference: Michael R. Cohen, "High-alert mix-up," Nursing (November 2007), Volume 37, No. 11: 12.

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