Red Wing nursing home error led to missed meds

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Red Wing nursing home error led to missed meds

Updated: April 11, 2012 - 7:32 PM

Red Wing facility wasn't penalized after resident died.

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A nursing home in Red Wing, Minn., has been blamed by state investigators for medication errors in a resident's death from pneumonia in September.

The "policies and procedures did not provide an effective system" at Red Wing Health Center for tracking prescription orders, according to a report released Wednesday by the Minnesota Health Department. The resident missed one drug for three days and a second prescription altogether following nursing staff clerical errors, the report said.

A transcription error by nursing staff led to the resident missing her antibiotics prescribed on Sept. 13, 2011, the day her pneumonia was diagnosed.

One of the medications was not received until Sept. 16, the other not at all, and the resident was "found to be pulseless" on Sept. 19, the report added. She was hospitalized and died later that day from pneumonia and chronic pulmonary disease, according to the medical examiner's report.

As is practice, the Health Department did not disclose the name of the resident or the nursing staff involved.

The home has since retrained staff on medication transcription procedures and taken other actions, so no penalties were issued.

Tony Linn, the nursing home's administrator, was reviewing the state report Wednesday and said he was not ready to respond to its findings.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482