Best Medical Malpractice & Negligence Lawyers in Skokie, IL

New Post: Bethany Rehab resident suffers brain bleed and seizures due to medication error - IDPH has cited and fined Bethany Rehabilitation and Health Care Center nursing home in De Kalb after a resident there suffered a brain bleed and seizures due to a medication error regarding the administration of his coumadin. Many nursing home residents take anticoagulant or "blood thinner" medications.  Used for a variety of purposes such as a history of blood clots, atrial fibrillation, stroke prevention, and management of other circulatory and cardiac conditions, this class of medication can be crucial for maintaining the health and well-being of the resident for whom the medication was ordered. However, the use of this medication has to be carefully managed.  If the blood is considered "too thick," or subtherapeutic, it can lead to blood clots which can have catastrophic consequences; if the blood is "too thin," or supratherapeutic, this can lead to uncontrolled bleeding. To ensure that the resident remains in the desired or therapeutic range, the resident must receive regular blood testing called a PT/INR test which measures whether the blood is in the therapeutic range.  If the blood is outside the therapeutic range, then the nurse must contact the doctor to notify him that the resident had an abnormal lab result.  From there, it would be up to the doctor to make adjustments in the dosing of the blood thinner medication or to take other steps to treat the condition.