Quaid sues Baxter over Heparin overdose

Are drug makers responsible for a hospital's medical error? That's what actor Dennis Quaid and his wife are alleging in a lawsuit over the blood thinner given to their newborn twins last month. The babies received 1,000 times the proper dose of Heparin, made by Baxter Healthcare.

At issue is the product label and design. The label on the 10-unit vial of Heparin is very similar to the label on the 10,000-unit strength. They're both blue, and the vials are similarly sized.

The couple is seeking only $50,000, saying that the suit is not about money, but about preventing the same overdose in other children. Last year, three Indiana children died after a healthcare worker gave them a similar overdose. Though Heparin, a generic, is made by seven different companies, it was Baxter's product involved in the Indiana overdose as well.

- read this BBC NEWS report
- get more details from the Chicago Sun-Times

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