5 days of medication in 5 hours leaves patient on critical list
Pharmacists at a Singapore hospital incorrectly administrated the wrong dose of a chemotherapy drug, leaving doctors struggling to safe the patient’s life.
The proposed treatment was 5-FU (5 fluorouracil) that should have been dispensed over a five day period in slow, controlled amounts. What was administered though was the full five day amount all within a five hour period, via the infusion pump which automatically releases the doses which are programmed in.
There have been previous cases of over dosing of 5-FU which have been fatal, as it only takes twice the amount of the prescribed drug for it to become poisonous. An antidote is currently in trials and not yet approved for use in Singapore, but the hospital is hoping to flush the patients system of the drug to stabilise the situation.
The hospital directors are monitoring the patient and are currently seeking authorisation to provide her with the antidote. New processes are to be put in place to prevent a 5 day course of treatment ever being given over a much shortened 5 hour period again.