What do a deceased marine and a 20-month-old baby have in common? Opioids may be needed to manage pain, but they can be deadly.
The Jason Simcakoski Opioid Safety Act has been tabled as legislation:
The Jason Simcakoski Opioid Safety Act would provide the VA with the needed tools to provide safer and more effective pain management services to veterans. This change would help strengthen patient advocacy, expand access to health and wellness, and enhance VA hiring.
A lawsuit has been filed after the death a 20-month old baby died “due to an overdose of pain medications”:
A 20-month-old baby died while under the supervision of doctors and staff nine days after recovering from a “successful” surgery. The baby did not have vital sign monitors that would have alerted nursing staff that he had stopped breathing due to an overdose of pain medications …
The complaint for wrongful death alleges that the hospital did not use pulse oximetry apparatus, respiratory, apnea and/or cardiac monitors for Damonii and that beginning May 30, 2014, the medical staff administered an increased dose of multiple pain medications, a combination that proved lethal to the infant.