OT-Malpractice?

bloodshed · Mar 30, 2011

Hey, A couple of days ago my dad went into the ER because he thought he was having some pains in his heart. This morning he got home. Since hes been home, ive been told hes been hallucinating and acting crazy calling everybody liars. hes taken money and hidden it, doesnt know where. He built a fort in the bathroom and said somebody else did, he is talking to imaginary people and is sitting in his bed eating food that doesnt exist...I'm not there, but when i visited him 2 days ago i saw them injecting him with hydromorphone, and i believe they were doing this every 3 or 4 hours. He normally takes a couple nucynta a day for his pain as well as some norco 10/325 as needed. I feel that the hydromorphone was completely and entirely overboard, especially considering the reaction he is having now. Is there anything in this that would be considered malpractice? Nobody should leave a hospital after 3 days hallucinating, especially when no surgery or any serious procedures were preformed.

Emery · Mar 30, 2011

bloodshed said:
Hey, A couple of days ago my dad went into the ER because he thought he was having some pains in his heart. This morning he got home. Since hes been home, ive been told hes been hallucinating and acting crazy calling everybody liars. hes taken money and hidden it, doesnt know where. He built a fort in the bathroom and said somebody else did, he is talking to imaginary people and is sitting in his bed eating food that doesnt exist...I'm not there, but when i visited him 2 days ago i saw them injecting him with hydromorphone, and i believe they were doing this every 3 or 4 hours. He normally takes a couple nucynta a day for his pain as well as some norco 10/325 as needed. I feel that the hydromorphone was completely and entirely overboard, especially considering the reaction he is having now. Is there anything in this that would be considered malpractice? Nobody should leave a hospital after 3 days hallucinating, especially when no surgery or any serious procedures were preformed.

Hydromorphone is probably well out of his system by now... The regular release version is metabolized quickly, usually 2 - 4 hours... I doubt if he got the extended release... This med is also known as Dilaudid... sounds like he needs to get to a physician quick!

In order for him to have a lawsuit or for there to be some kind of malpractice, I believe actual harm would have to take place... Now, if he had a heart attack or something and they misdiagnosed... there may be a case. If they gave him the med and knew he was allergic to it (medication error), there might be a case.

Here is a legit site for info on Dilaudid...

Hydromorphone Oral and Rectal - PubMed Health

Good luck man!

sgtedrobinson · Mar 30, 2011

Dilaudid... is some bad shit!!! They gave it to my son after shoulder surgery and the same thing happened to him when we got him home. The whole thing lasted about 24 hours. After that he was ok.:banghead:

bloodshed · Mar 30, 2011

sgtedrobinson said:
Dilaudid... is some bad shit!!! They gave it to my son after shoulder surgery and the same thing happened to him when we got him home. The whole thing lasted about 24 hours. After that he was ok.:banghead:

He got out at about 11am this morning, with it now being 7:20 my time, and it is still going on. I just can't see how they justify giving him such a strong drug for no reason...a morphine patch would have completely sufficed, this was way overboard. And im trying to figure out how much they gave him for this result too..My family, him especially, have very high tolerances to these things. he can take 4 of the 10/325 norcos and feel hardly anything. percocets did absolutely nothing to him, he has to take 2 100mg morphines for any effect (btw he has neuropathy so its not abuse).

sgtedrobinson · Mar 30, 2011

Read the btl, is a side affect. He wont be able to take that drug any more. It just has to clear his system. Like I said it took 24 hours to clear my son's system.

bloodshed · Mar 30, 2011

sgtedrobinson said:
Read the btl, is a side affect. He wont be able to take that drug any more. It just has to clear his system. Like I said it took 24 hours to clear my son's system.

Never got a bottle, He just got it injected IV when he was there. Ill make sure he doesn't use it again.

kid1dakota · Mar 30, 2011

He obviously didnt tolerate Dilauded which is not uncommon.I coded on that once meaning I stopped breathing and was giving Narcan and woke up with a tube down my throat with my arms tied up(apparently I kept pulling out the breathing tube).

As far as malpractice I don't see a case as what are damages? he will be physically alright,he just didn't tolerate the meds.

Also you can't tell the treating physicians what to give or what not to give unless you have power of attorney or someone else does.Something to look into if he is hospitalized often.I can't discuss patients care with anyone without consent and in some cases power of attorney if they aren't able to speak for themselves.

bloodshed · Mar 30, 2011

kid1dakota said:
He obviously didnt tolerate Dilauded which is not uncommon.I coded on that once meaning I stopped breathing and was giving Narcan and woke up with a tube down my throat with my arms tied up(apparently I kept pulling out the breathing tube).

As far as malpractice I don't see a case as what are damages? he will be physically alright,he just didn't tolerate the meds.

Also you can't tell the treating physicians what to give or what not to give unless you have power of attorney or someone else does.Something to look into if he is hospitalized often.I can't discuss patients care with anyone without consent and in some cases power of attorney if they aren't able to speak for themselves.

I see, and I understand what you're saying. I just fail to see how the amounts they gave him were justified.

bigoso · Mar 30, 2011

doesn't sound like a case to me...as others have said there has to be harm, or at least negligence. The high tolerance you are referring to may very well be the reason they gave him dilaudid instead of morphine. I have seen more than a few older people get pretty "loopy" on pain meds...whether dilaudid or morphine....not uncommon at all

bloodshed · Mar 31, 2011

Its now been well over 30 hours and he is still hallucinating...I just think this is a bit ridiculous

sgtedrobinson · Mar 31, 2011

My wife and myself watched my son for 36 hours with no sleep. I would call the Doctor.

QuietStorm · Mar 31, 2011

from the amount of pain meds you say he can tolerate, an 8mg dose is not going to do any damage. he may be having a bad reaction or he could have something more serious wrong... stroke or something.. id take him back to the hospital...or a different hospital if you arent happy with the one he was at, and have them check him out, pronto.

Emery · Mar 31, 2011

My daughter had hallucinations for several days from an antibiotic - just 1 dose!!! It wasn't the doctor's fault... I know your upset but I do work in the medical field as Kid1Dakota does, and I do review charts, etc... I really don't see where you would have a case unless you could prove some kind of negligence or actual harm... Not that he is not sufferring from the med... I empathize with your frustration, I just don't think you will get anywhere legally with this...

bigoso · Mar 31, 2011

If its been 30 hours and he is still hallucinating I would take him to the ER....a different one if you are uncomfortable with what happened at the last one