Actor Dennis Quaid and his wife Kimberly Buffington are suing the makers of the drug Heparin, accidentally given in a massive dose to their two-week old newborn twins by personnel at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace were given 10,000 units of the Heparin November 18th. They were supposed to receive 10 units of the blood thinner given in an IV to avoid blood clots.
They are now home and "doing fantastic" says the Quaid's lawyer, Susan Loggans.
The hospital admits a pharmacy technician failed to have another pharmacist verify the medication concentration prior to its leaving the pharmacy.
Cedars-Sinai has apologized calling the accidental dosing “preventable human error made by pharmacy and nursing staff” and promises to change its medication procedures and personnel training.
The Quaids are still deciding whether to sue the hospital says their lawyer. The suit isn't about money says Loggans, but rather the suit is "to save other children from this fate."
The product liability suit seeks at least $50,000 in damages and claims that Baxter Healthcare Corp., which makes the blood thinner Heparin, was negligent by making different doses in similar vials with similar blue labels.
Three Indianapolis infants died last year after a similar overdosing accident, yet the drug was never recalled.
The suit charges that Baxter failed to repackage Heparin or issue warning to healthcare providers.