The Danger with Numbers

Quantities in Chemical Reactions

You sleep when you are in the arms of Morpheus, the Greek God of sleep and dreams. [5] But what happens when you are in the arms of morphine?

Morphine is an opioid/narcotic, used as pain medication for moderate to severe pain. It acts on the central nervous system to numb pain and induce sleep. [3]

It is a known fact that misuse of the drug can result in severe consequences such as addiction, overdose and death. It can slow breathing and heart rate to the point of stopping. Morphine should never be taken in larger amounts or for longer than prescribed, especially in children and those without a prescription. [2,3] Accurate calculations are vital in health care situations, which is what Asher, a young infant, found out the hard way.

According to this article by CTV News, Asher’s grandmother, Vera Smith, sat down to feed him. Then, to her horror,  the baby began drooling and fell limp. After calling 9-1-1, Asher was rushed to hospital and it was confirmed that he had been given the wrong concentration of morphine – about one hundred times what he was supposed to receive. This miscalculation happened at the Dispensaries Limited pharmacy in south Edmonton. The pharmacy says a pharmacist checked the prescription, an assistant filled it, and the pharmacist checked it again. Rest assured, Asher survived but who knows what other issues might arise later on from the accident?

Mistakes in calculations happen all the time and it is impossible to eliminate them completely; this is the danger with numbers. Great care, however, can be taken to avoid such devastating incidents, such as having several doctors as well as patients, check over prescriptions. In this world, we can never take what someone says for granted. We must all be cautious about who we trust. A medic’s job is to help and save people, but sometimes an error is beyond their control. When you place yourself in the arms of morphine, you’re trusting a powerful and dangerous drug to help you. What is the most effective way to avoid mistakes and who should we blame when they happen?

Bibliography

1. “Prescription error: changes urged after infant takes near-fatal does.” CTV News. 2015. Web. April 14, 2015. <http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/prescription-error-changes-urged-after-infant-takes-near-fatal-dose-1.2241801&gt;

2. “Morphine.” Drugs.com. 2014. Web. April 14 2015. <http://www.drugs.com/morphine.html&gt;

3. “Morphine (oral route): Description and Brand Names.” Mayo Clinic.org. 2015. Web. April 15, 2015. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/morphine-oral-route/description/drg-20074216&gt;

4. “Morphine.” English Montreal School Board. 2004. Web. April 15, 2015. <http://www.emsb.qc.ca/laurenhill/science/morphine.html&gt;

5. “Morpheus, the God of Dreams.” Greek Myths – Greek Mythology.com. 2015. Web. April 15. <http://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/morpheus-the-god-of-dreams/&gt;

Image Credit

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