August 8, 2011: CTV News - Group warns of feeding tube and IV line mixups
A medical safety agency has issued a warning after receiving two reports in which hospitalized newborn babies were mistakenly given breast milk through IV lines into their bloodstream.Safety experts first warned about this medical error decades ago, but say it’s still being repeated, putting fragile babies at risk.
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada says it’s received two reports in which babies in Canadian hospitals almost died because of the error.
The premature infants had been hooked up to both IV lines and nasogastric (NG) tubes, which is a feeding tube that goes through the nose, down the throat and into the stomach. The babies were supposed to receive their mothers’ breast milk through their NG tubes. Instead, the unsterilized milk was mistakenly administered through the IV line. Read more ...
