A doctor writes 25 000 U of heparin; misread and gives 250000. What do you do?

A doctor writes 25 000 U of heparin; misread and gives 250000. What do you do?

• A. DRSABCD + intensive monitoring of patient and signs of bleeding + vitals
• B. Confirm error has happened
• C. Make sure team and nurses are aware
• D. Open disclosure with patient about what has happened and what the current management plan will be

Answer: (A)

The situation tests your ability to prioritize immediate patient safety in the face of a high‑risk med error. When a tenfold overdose of heparin is given, the most urgent need is to protect the patient from harm and detect any early signs of bleeding or deterioration. Activating an emergency response protocol (DRSABCD) ensures you rapidly assess airway, breathing, and circulation and escalate to skilled help if the patient worsens. Pairing that with intensive monitoring for vital signs and for signs of bleeding targets the specific dangers of heparin overdose and helps you intervene early if bleeding begins. While confirming that an error occurred, coordinating with the team, and opening a disclosure to the patient are important steps, they are secondary to immediate stabilization. Stabilize and monitor the patient first, then address communication, accountability, and disclosure as you continue care. In practice you’d also involve stopping the infusion, notifying the appropriate senior staff, and arranging reversal or supportive measures as indicated, but the priority is to safeguard the patient now through rapid assessment and vigilant monitoring.

The situation tests your ability to prioritize immediate patient safety in the face of a high‑risk med error. When a tenfold overdose of heparin is given, the most urgent need is to protect the patient from harm and detect any early signs of bleeding or deterioration. Activating an emergency response protocol (DRSABCD) ensures you rapidly assess airway, breathing, and circulation and escalate to skilled help if the patient worsens. Pairing that with intensive monitoring for vital signs and for signs of bleeding targets the specific dangers of heparin overdose and helps you intervene early if bleeding begins.

While confirming that an error occurred, coordinating with the team, and opening a disclosure to the patient are important steps, they are secondary to immediate stabilization. Stabilize and monitor the patient first, then address communication, accountability, and disclosure as you continue care. In practice you’d also involve stopping the infusion, notifying the appropriate senior staff, and arranging reversal or supportive measures as indicated, but the priority is to safeguard the patient now through rapid assessment and vigilant monitoring.