Hospital did not give me my medications. Is this negligence?

[tstynes]

What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania

Quick synopsis…

Last August I was admitted to the hospital for an abdominal hysterectomy. I was released late on a Sunday night. By Wednesday morning I was in the emergency room with a great deal of flank pain. After a very long day of unsuccessfully begging them to contact my obgyn because of my discharge 2 days earlier (and he had concerns), I was re-admitted. I was told there was an obstruction in my left ureter due to my hysterectomy. I should note that by this time, I had called a friend who needed to personally contact my obgyn on my behalf because the hospital staff refused to do so. I was re-admitted 11:00 pm Wednesday. Nobody on the staff asked me whether I was taking medication for anything. I asked a nurse why I was not asked about my medication and she answered that the information was already in their computer.

I asked if this obstruction was due to an extra stitch or something. They said it was possible but they did not know.

On Thursday morning the urologist operated and tried to implant a stent through the obstruction. He was unable to get through the obstruction. They still weren’t completely sure what caused the obstruction, however they did not believe that it was a stitch. They were saying that they thought this was just inflammation.

Friday morning, the intervention radiologists got involved and implanted a nephrostomy tube into my back, through my kidney, through the ureter (and obstruction) and into my bladder.

At this point, my obgyn is listed as my Attending Physician. I am admitted to the Urology Department. The Urologist ordered the nephrostomy tube and Radiologists are now involved. Which doctor was truly responsible for my care?

Each day I was falling more and more into a depression. I was in complete devastation. This was actually emotionally worse for me than when I was being treated for breast cancer and going through chemo. I lost all hope.

On Saturday night while talking to a nurse, we realized that I was never given my usual medications throughout the entire time that I was admitted. One of the medications was my anti-depressant. My last dose had been taken Tuesday night. The hospital staff had routinely given me this medication a week earlier while I was admitted for my hysterectomy. This information was documented in their computer system.

Sometime later I asked my obgyn why I wasn’t given my usual medications. He said he didn’t know except to think that they didn’t want anything in my stomach in case of surgery. I told him that they could have given me the evening doses and it would have helped. He admitted that this was true.

They watched me go so far downhill emotionally. Do I have a case for negligence or something along those lines?

 

[rmet4nzkx]

What was the antidepressant Rx and the dose? How long have you been taking it? What other medications were you taking? Any alergies?

 

[JETX]

Do I have a case for negligence or something along those lines?

Rather than being led off into the land of 'whatever', the simple answer to your question is:
Based entirely on the information in your post, you MAY have a claim against someone.... but since there is no damage, no (or at best, minimal) value. And without a value, no attorney will touch it.

So, help us out here.... EXACTLY what damages do you claim??

 

[tstynes]

This medication is Wellbutren 150 mg twice a day. I have been on this for just over 4 years. No allergies to medicines.

Damages, I don't know how to claim, that is why I am asking. I WOULD claim NEEDLESS pain and suffering.

 

[rmet4nzkx]

This medication is Wellbutren 150 mg twice a day. I have been on this for just over 4 years. No allergies to medicines.

Damages, I don't know how to claim, that is why I am asking. I WOULD claim NEEDLESS pain and suffering.

I asked the questions I did in order to determine if there were the possibility of damages etc. At this point I see none even though you may have suffered some discomfort or anxiety.

Given your medical history of surviving cancer, the possibility of the obstruction being from inflamation seems plausible and your treatment although you were in pain was timely and appropriate. Surgery is not without complications especially during acute recovery. This was 5 months ago so you have recovered once you had the proceedure to bypass the obstruction.

Now we have to look at the issue of not receiving your Wellbutrin for a few days. In some cases, abrupt withdrawl from an antidepressant can lead to severe problems with withdrawal but that is not the only consideration. The hospital would have followed the doctor's orders in the computer. The doctor who perscribed it, which I will assume was your psychiatrist rather than your OB/GYN and that you would have at least advised the prescribing provider of your impending surgery so that any required adjustments might be made such as switching from the SR form requiring a split dose to the XL form requiring once daily dosing. Wellbutrin has a short half life that is the reason for the split dose.

Wellbutrin SR reacts with some other forms of medication and it's metabolism may also be affected by steroids including the ones your body naturally makes, so your anxiety may have affected your perception of the effectiveness of the Wellbutrin SR. Here is the real clincher, re Renal Impairment: While Bupropion is extensively metabolized in the liver to active metabolites, which are further metabolized and subsequently excreted by the kidneys. WELLBUTRIN SR should be used with caution in patients with renal impairment and a reduced frequency and/or dose should be considered as bupropion and its metabolites may accumulate in such patients to a greater extent than usual. The patient should be closely monitored for possible adverse effects that could indicate high drug or metabolite levels. This being said, it was most appropriate for you to miss the dose/s of Wellbutrin SR
until renal function was restored otherwise there was an increased risk of seziures etc.

Of course you may discuss this with your prescribing provider or pharmacist.

 

[ellencee]

What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania

Quick synopsis…

Last August I was admitted to the hospital for an abdominal hysterectomy. I was released late on a Sunday night. By Wednesday morning I was in the emergency room with a great deal of flank pain. After a very long day of unsuccessfully begging them to contact my obgyn because of my discharge 2 days earlier (and he had concerns), I was re-admitted. I was told there was an obstruction in my left ureter due to my hysterectomy. I should note that by this time, I had called a friend who needed to personally contact my obgyn on my behalf because the hospital staff refused to do so. I was re-admitted 11:00 pm Wednesday. Nobody on the staff asked me whether I was taking medication for anything. I asked a nurse why I was not asked about my medication and she answered that the information was already in their computer.

I asked if this obstruction was due to an extra stitch or something. They said it was possible but they did not know.

On Thursday morning the urologist operated and tried to implant a stent through the obstruction. He was unable to get through the obstruction. They still weren’t completely sure what caused the obstruction, however they did not believe that it was a stitch. They were saying that they thought this was just inflammation.

Friday morning, the intervention radiologists got involved and implanted a nephrostomy tube into my back, through my kidney, through the ureter (and obstruction) and into my bladder.

At this point, my obgyn is listed as my Attending Physician. I am admitted to the Urology Department. The Urologist ordered the nephrostomy tube and Radiologists are now involved. Which doctor was truly responsible for my care?

Each day I was falling more and more into a depression. I was in complete devastation. This was actually emotionally worse for me than when I was being treated for breast cancer and going through chemo. I lost all hope.

On Saturday night while talking to a nurse, we realized that I was never given my usual medications throughout the entire time that I was admitted. One of the medications was my anti-depressant. My last dose had been taken Tuesday night. The hospital staff had routinely given me this medication a week earlier while I was admitted for my hysterectomy. This information was documented in their computer system.

Sometime later I asked my obgyn why I wasn’t given my usual medications. He said he didn’t know except to think that they didn’t want anything in my stomach in case of surgery. I told him that they could have given me the evening doses and it would have helped. He admitted that this was true.

They watched me go so far downhill emotionally. Do I have a case for negligence or something along those lines?

It is obvious that you do not understand your medication (Wellbutrin) or hospital routine (even though you are a 'frequent flyer'). Wellbutrin takes 7 days to build a therapeutic effect and takes much longer for the effects and benefits to subside. In no way did one week without Wellbutrin cause you to "lose hope" or become severely depressed. Normal people without depression issues become depressed and feel hopeless when one hospitalization leads to another. Wellbutrin is not to be given to persons with renal (kidney) problems, either. It seems prudent to withhold Wellbutrin in a situation such as yours. It doesn't matter if they accidentally withheld it or withheld it on purpose; doing so can be justified as beneficial and not detremental.

Physicians deserve a day and night off without being on call. They are not our personal slaves, duty-bound to appear at patients' every whim. The Emergency Department will call whichever physician is on call for a particular specialty. Your friend's calling your physician was out of line. Your physician is a decent fellow or he would have let you know in no uncertain terms not to ever call him again when he is not "on call". The man deserves his rest and his patients need him to be rested, not to mention the needs of his family for him and his for his family.

As for which physician was really in charge: Have you ever heard of teamwork? Regardless of which MD admitted you, you were admitted to the service of your regular MD (your OB/GYN). Each of the other physicians is a specialist who was consulted to provide care and to do so not under the supervision of your regular MD, who isn't a specialized urologist or a specialized radiologist. The physicians consult with each other only to plan and coordinate care.

You were able to speak and you could have asked any of the physicians for your Wellbutrin. Obviously, you did not; and, after having violated your physician's right to be off duty, I doubt your credibility in reporting your level of ignored and untreated depression.

I believe you are simply seeking to punish someone because life handed you something you did not want. It is apparently a nationwide misconception that the laws of this country were developed to prevent any citizen, legal or illegal alien, or visitor to this country from having to suffer any of the insults that come with living a normal life.

No money for you. No physician to punish.

Get well and be thankful that you are alive and have the potential to recover. If you continue to focus on the negative instead of engaging in positive thinking, your health will be negatively impacted. Cancer survivors are not whiners and moaners; they are 'can do' people.

Best wishes,
EC

 

[JETX]

Best wishes

Ellen, thank you for your intelligent, accurate and 'on-point' response. We have missed that.... and though others try to fill your 'medical' shoes, fall far short. Hope you are back for a while.... Best.