Hoosier baby's doctor?

Just because I haven't spilled a lot of ink lately about medical errors doesn't mean they've stopped happening.

According to a recent Associated Press article, an 18-year-old new mother was partially paralyzed when a common form of painkiller given during her childbirth was improperly administered by attending physicians.

Ten full hours worth of the epidural medication, which is given via an automatic pump, was injected in just 1 hour - because the device was mis-programmed by her anesthesiologist!

Thankfully, at the time of this writing, the young woman has regained some sensation and movement in her legs. A spokesperson for the medical center, Indiana's Methodist Hospital, claims that they are optimistic about her chances for a full recovery. As noted in the AP piece, this is the same hospital that not long ago committed another grievous medication error when it administered lethal doses of a drug to three premature babies…

My advice to pregnant Indianans: Drive to a neighboring state to deliver your child, if possible. Your Hoosier doctors seem to be having a spotty year.