Babies given overdose of blood thinner

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, July 9 (UPI) -- As many as 17 infants, including one who died, may have received overdoses of a blood-thinning drug at a Texas hospital.

The error occurred at Christus Spohn Hospital South in Corpus Christi, Texas. Richard Davis, chief medical officer for the Christus Spohn Health System, said doctors don't know if the overdose of heparin played a role in the death, since the baby was already very sick, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported.

Nurses discovered Sunday night that some infants' blood wasn't clotting properly.

Three of the infants who may have received overdoses have been discharged from the hospital, 12 are in stable condition and one remains in critical condition as it was before it received the drug.

The babies appear to have received 100 times the intended dose.

Investigators say that the mistake occurred in the hospital pharmacy last Thursday. Two employees are on voluntary leave pending the outcome of the investigation, the Caller-Times said.

The hospital has also notified state and federal agencies.