Hi All,
Someone asked for the clarifying information on the babies dying from
mislabeled glucose story.  Here it is:

German Medical Glucose Recalled

By RAF CASERT Associated Press Writer

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - A German pharmaceutical company has recalled
thousands of vials labeled glucose after two premature babies died when given
injections from the containers, which turned out to hold potassium chloride.

The company, B. Braun Melsungen AG, ``acknowledged with consternation'' the
babies' deaths, saying in a statement that 135,000 vials of the 5 percent
glucose
were distributed in September 1997.

But Philippe Verschuren, the company's representative in Belgium, denied
that Braun erroneously mislabeled the vials, saying something could have
happened after
they left the factory.

``In normal circumstances something like this cannot happen. The production
process is too automated for that. It's nearly incomprehensible,''
Verschuren said.

The company said it was likely that most of the supply had already been used.

A European-wide alert to hospitals went out Saturday after two babies died
within two days at the Gasthuisberg hospital in Leuven, 15 miles east of
Brussels.

Doctors said they suffered heart attacks minutes after receiving a solution
from a bottle marked 5 percent glucose. After the second death, they
checked the bottle.

Though found naturally in the body, potassium chloride can be lethal to
premature babies.

Prosecutor Theo Jacobs said the hospital found four vials with wrong
labeling. Several other glucose vials were recovered but not opened pending
the investigation.

Investigators have interviewed hospital and company representatives and do
not exclude criminal intent in the case.

``It remains possible,'' Jacobs said. ``But there is nothing specific that
points in that direction.''

Sounds like they are talking about an IV solution, not bottles fed to the
babies. Poor babies, poor sad parents. :(

NancyH
Nancy Holtzman RN BSN
Great Beginnings New Mothers Groups
Boston MA
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