Description of Event or Problem · 1
RPTR WRITES, "I AM AN RCP, AND HAD THE UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE OF MY TWENTY FIVE YEAR OLD SON DYING RECENTLY." THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AT A LARGE MEDICAL CTR USED 1) 1ST STEP BED 2) ACCUCHECK TYPE DEVICE 3) COOLING BLANKET IMPROPERLY CAUSING MY SON TO DETERIORATE WITH EVENTUAL DEATH. 1) MY SON WAS ON LIFE SUPPORT AND HAD BEENS SEVERELY CRITICAL BUT NOW STABLE ON LIFE SUPPORT. HE HAD A NORMAL TEMP OF 98. WITHIN ONE HR AFTER PLACING HIM ON THIS AIR BED HIS TEMP BEGAN ELEVATING TO A 103 DEGREE. THIS ELEVATED TEMP WAS VERY HARMFUL TO MY CRITICALLY ILL SON. THIS BED FELT WARM, NOTED BY ME TO THE NURSES, AND WENT UNDISCOVERED FOR DAYS UNTIL I GOT ON MY HANDS AND KNEES AND NOTED IT WAS SET ON HEAT. 2) AN ACCUCHECK TYPE DEVICE WAS USED TO MONITOR HIS BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS. HE HAD A COOLING BLANKET ON THE TIP OF HIS BODY BECAUSE OF THE HEATED BED CAUSING HIM TO HAVE AN ELEVATED TEMP. THE COOLING BLANKET WAS ON HIS HANDS, NAILS WERE NOTED AS PINK, THESE COOL EXTREMITIES WERE USED FOR BLOOD SUGAR ANALYSIS. (HIS CIRCULATION WAS AT RISK TO BE COMPROMISED). THE BLOOD SUGAR ANALYSIS WAS REPEATED WITH READINGS OF 40. THE PHYSICIAN ORDER DEXTROSE 50, THE NURSE NOW NOTED THAT HIS ARMS AND LEGS ARE CYANOTIC (BLUE AND COLD). THE RNS CONTINUED TO DO BLOOD SUGARS GIVING FALSE READINGS IN THE 40'S AND GIVING ORDERED DEXTROSE 50 TO MY SON. BLOOD DRAW FROM LAB RESULTS WERE 624, THE NURSE WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND SHE CONTINUED TO DO FINGER STICKS ON A COLD BLUE FINGER GIVING INACCURATE READINGS AND GIVING DEXTROSE 50 UNTIL I ASKED WHY THEY WERE STICKING COLD BLUE UNCIRCULATING EXTREMITIES FOR BLOOD. I SUGGESTED THEY STICK HIS EAR AND THE PHYSICIAN DECIDED THAT THE SHOULDER (SUBJECT TO THE COLD ICE BLANKET) WAS USED FOR THE ANALYSIS THE BLOOD SUGAR ANALYSIS WAS 178 FROM HIS SHOULDER. THE PHYSICIAN NOTIFIED ME THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO AMPUTATE HIS ARMS AND LEGS. HIS LEGS NEVER RECOVERED AND HE WAS NOT A CANDIDATE FOR A PROCEDURE THAT COULD HAVE SAVED HIS LIFE, EXTRA-CORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION. HE WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED AMPUTATION OF HIS LEGS. 3) THE COOLING BLANKWET WAS IN PLACE BECAUSE OF THE ELEVATED TEMPERATURE CAUSED BY THE HEATED AIR BED. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT MY SON BECAME RESTLESS AND I GOT UP TO COMFORT HIM, HE WAS VERY HOT TO TOUCH AND WAS BEADING WITH SWEAT. THE ELECTRICAL CORD THAT RAN FROM THE COOLING BLANKET TO THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET WAS IN A FREQUENTLY WALKED PATH. THE NURSE HAD TRIPPED OVER THE CORD AND THE COOLING BLANKET HAD BECOME DISCONNECTED AT THE OUTLET. WHEN THE NURSE PLUGGED IT BACK IN IT RESET BECOMING A HEATING BLANKET. DOES THE FDA CARE OR HAVE ANY REGULATION OVER WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PREVIOUSLY HEALTHY, WONDERFUL AND LOVING SON. THE DAMAGE FROM THESE THREE MEDICAL DEVICES USED INCORRECTLY BY THE RNS IN THIS MEDICAL CTR CAUSED MY SON'S CONDITION TO DETERIORATATE WITH EVENTUAL DEATH. THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING THIS INFO, I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE ME TO HELP SO THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO OTHERS."