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JESSICA FARGEN
21 March 2009
Boston Herald
First-time Medford parents are breathing a sigh of relief as their newborn daughter recovers from a scary medication mistake at Boston Medical Center that resulted in their bundle of joy getting an overdose of morphine.
Stellina Sasso, who was born March 2, was kept under observation and put on a low dose of morphine to combat withdrawal from a medication her mother takes, her proud papa Nick Sasso, 23, told the Herald.
Sasso says his world came crashing down March 14 when he showed up to see little Stellina in her hospital room with a heat pack on her chest. He was told that a nurse had accidentally "overdosed" her with morphine.
He and his wife, Stefania Sasso, 26, still haven't brought her home.
"We don't sleep. We are too worried about what will happen next," Sasso said. "My daughter almost lost her life."
He said that although the long-term prognosis appears good, the medical mistake means Stellina will stay in the hospital for at least two more days. He said the extra morhpine made her drowsy.
"She couldn't keep her eyes open, and she was very tired," Sasso said.
Sasso said the nurse who made the mistake apologized to the family along with a doctor and offered to bring in a crisis team.
Boston Medical Center issued a statement acknowledging a medication error involving an infant March 14. The hospital staff apologized to the parents, and the hospital is reviewing the incident, according to the statement.
"Boston Medical Center takes patient care and patient safety very seriously. On Saturday, an unfortunate medication error occurred involving an infant. The hospital met with the family the same day to disclose the error and apologize," according to the statement. "The medication error did not cause an adverse outcome or change the infant's condition. An internal review of this incident is ongoing and we are taking all necessary steps to prevent a recurrence."
The Department of Public Health does not track medication errors unless the error results in serious injury or death, said spokesman John Jacob.
jfargen@bostonherald.com
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