MARCH 6, 2009 – Chula Vista’s Scripps Mercy Hospital has been fined for the death of a patient last year. The critically ill woman visited the facility on February 28, 2008 because she was suffering from low blood sodium. Though the hospital staff encouraged her to stay, she left the hospital that day. The woman returned the next day with high blood pressure and difficulty breathing. Tests showed that her sodium level was critically low; however, it took doctors over 2 ½ hours to order an intravenous saline solution. Though the doctor submitted two requests for the solution, the hospital’s pharmacy did not expedite the orders. The patient was then transferred to intensive care, where a nurse faxed a third order for the saline solution. The order finally arrived approximately 1 ½ hours later, but the nurse took a break before administering it to the patient. The woman died 45 minutes later.
On March 3, 2009, state health officials fined the hospital $25,000, which is the maximum penalty. The facility was one of ten California hospitals to receive such a fine. Furthermore, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that both Scripps Mercy facilities had pharmacy delays, a shortage of nurses, and poor management. Several days after the incident, hospital officials devised a plan to prevent similar instances from occurring. Emergency room nurses must now notify the pharmacist when an urgent order is placed. The pharmacy is also now aiming to fill orders in 15 minutes, as well as keeping a log to monitor turnaround times. No staff members have been punished for the incident.
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