Five minutes from death!
I have just read an article with that title. A somewhat disturbing report not so much on being dead in five minutes but that many people are unaware of the potentiality. The article was all about prescription drugs
The figures given relate to the United States but should still be of concern to us in Canada. Apparently drug mistakes have doubled since 2000. One person dies from prescription drugs every five minutes and the poison control centers receive a call every 21 seconds.
The common mistakes include being given the wrong medicine, Names get mixed during the preparation. The wrong dosage of medicine issued. At one time my wife was given 300mg of a drug when it should have been 30mg. Within 24 hours she was walking into walls and was spaced out. In that case the Pharmacist actually said to us “I have never seen a dosage this high!” Would you not think he would have checked with the doctor?
Another mistake is that people overdose inadvertently in not understanding how much they should be taking over a 24 hour period. Then children also get into this mix by getting into the medicine chest and helping themselves. Even over the counter pain killers are creating problems.
As a precaution, make sure you know what you should take, why you should take it, how much you should take and what it should do for you. Consult your Pharmacist to ensure your medications are compatible – how well they mix. Some people suggest natural alternatives but even they don’t always do the job and also can have side effects.
So all in all, be aware and take care.
