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Minnesota nurse probed in five patient deaths

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, August 1, 2003

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North Memorial Medical Center in Minneapolis fired a nurse after a three month investigation for allegedly giving five terminally ill patients dangerous doses of morphine. No charges have been filed against the nurse-whose name has not been released-but state officials are investigating the incidents.

Medical staff had already removed all five patients from life support and all five had "do not resuscitate" orders. Each of the patients had been receiving two to five milligrams of morphine every few hours, when the nurse gave each patient an additional 10 milligram dose. One patient received two doses at this level within 18 minutes, according to a state Health Department report. Four of the patients died within 30 minutes of receiving the morphine; the fifth died a month later. No autopsies were performed.

According to the Health Department, the nurse said treating physicians authorized the doses. One physician denied ordering the high dosage and another could not remember authorizing so much morphine. The Health Department will turn over its report to the County attorney's office to see if further investigation is needed.

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