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Ativan,Morphine & Asthma

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gotcats

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Texas
My 84 yr old grandmother went to hospital Sat by ambulance w/ severe back & chest pains. Tests ruled out heart,bloodclot in lung or back injury. The oxygen level in her blood was very low, 70's,normal should be 90's.They administered morphine in emerg room for pain & admitted her to run more tests & to raise oxygen levels. She received several breathing therapies per day as well as continual morphine. By Tuesday I insisted they discontinue morphine. Wednesday morning she was starting to come out of the fog, her oxygen level had to be lowered several points & she was released w/24 hrs a day oxygen tanks & home care set up. As I was prepareing to help her into wheel chair, one last test was done by pricking her finger. All the sudden red flags went up and a pulmonologist was called in.I waited several hours to meet the pulm dr but finally had to drive home(an hours drive). I received a call around 10pm that she had been given more morphine & had fallen but was okay.They wanted me to come spend the night to help keep her in bed which I did. I waited until 4pm the next day,Thurs but the Dr NEVER came.Again, I requested that no more morphine be given unless she asked for it.
Friday morning I called at 8 am and she sounded like her old self and the dr(that i never met) was in the room telling her she could go home. I arived at 9:30 and she had had another severe pain attack like the one that caused us to call the ambulance 6 days earlier. They had given her the morphine but she was still having severe pain when I arrived. The nurse called the dr but he was gone so she paged the "on call "Dr. It took at least an hour before he called her back. She described my grandmother as having an anxiety attack. Without ever seeing my grandmother he ordered Ativan. The nurse brought in 2 large, full syringes and administered intraveneously one after the other & left the room.
My grandmother immediately changed. She started moaning and grasping in the air. She would settle down for a few minutes then jerk upright as if to get out of the bed. She started pulling on her skin and rubbing her chest in between her breasts. This went on for about an hour then she settled into a more relaxed rest. Light sleep. I stayed several more hours and no dr ever showed up. I left about 6pm.
At 11pm the hospital called that she had died.I learned also that she had been given another dose of morphine at 10pm.
Something stinks about all that morphine,breathing therapy, asthma history, then ativan & death.What is the name of your state?
 


lealea1005

Senior Member
I'm very sorry for your loss.

The combination of ativan and morphine are some times given together for very agitated patients who are in extreme pain. They have to be carefully monitored, especially with asthmatics or respiratory compromised patients, because both are respiratory depressants.

Given that your grandmother was experiencing severe back and chest pain, I'd be interested to know what testing was done to rule out anything cardiovasular. However, since none of us are privvy to her medical records, you may want to consult a med/mal attorney.
 

lya

Senior Member
Golly, an 84 year-old woman who suffered a hypoxic episode at home, was admitted to the hospital and died. It must be medical negligence; it couldn't possibly be that she died from being 84 years-old and having asthma induced hypoxia for an unknown period of time the day of admission and only God knows how many other hypoxic episodes at home.

You'd think death was a normal part of life, for everyone, if you didn't know better.

JEEZ!!!!

Morphine supports the lungs; it was a good choice of meds.

Ativan is given to asthma patients and those with other respiratory conditons, too.

I think ABGs should have been done, if there was a marked changed in behavior; and, if the ABGs were good, that Ativan was an appropriate choice.

Three syringes should have been used: one with normal saline for IV access patency check and initial flush, one with Ativan, and one with normal saline to flush the IV access after the administration of Ativan. NS flush syringes are usually 10 ml syringes that are easly described as large and fat.

Ativan or no Ativan, Morphine or no Morphine, the woman died from being 84 years-old and having had one or more severe hypoxic episodes at home. That's my opinion and a darn good stance for the defense of such a claim.

I do feel your pain in losing your grandmother and you do have my sympathy; you just don't have my support in claiming medical negligence.
 
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