The recent cyberattack on Ascension, a premier American hospital system, has wreaked havoc on patient care, leading to perilous medication errors and even death. This Catholic healthcare organization operates more than 140 facilities across the country and detected suspicious activity in its networks last month. The result? A catastrophic lockout of doctors and nurses from their digital systems, causing a terrifying domino effect of critical errors.
One horrific incident involved a patient receiving narcotics by mistake, leading to life-threatening breathing problems that demanded intensive care. Another heartbreaking case saw a woman lose her life to cardiac arrest because crucial test results for her treatment were delayed due to data complications.
Ascension employees have reported countless other incidents stemming from this cyberattack. For instance, a Kansas-based nurse shared a chilling “near miss” where he almost administered a potentially lethal dose of narcotics to an infant due to confusing paperwork. He stressed that these kinds of errors were unheard of before the cyberattack disrupted their computer systems.
Despite Ascension’s claim on June 14 that network access was restored, numerous staff members have reported ongoing mistakes like medication mix-ups and missing test results. To manage with the compromised digital systems, hospitals have been forced to resort to desperate measures like using handwritten sticky notes to keep track of critically ill patients.
Justin Neisser, a travel nurse at an Ascension hospital, warned patients about potential delays and errors in care. He voiced concern over the heightened risk of harm due to the disrupted systems. An emergency room doctor in Michigan (who wished to remain anonymous) recounted a case where a patient was mistakenly given a dangerous narcotic meant for someone else, resulting in severe respiratory issues and necessitating ICU admission and intubation.
Another Michigan nurse shared a tragic story of a woman with low blood sugar and confusion who suffered cardiac arrest after waiting four hours for lab results that never came. The nurse expressed fear for patient safety, even stating that she would rather be taken to another hospital if she had a medical emergency at work.
Marvin Ruckle, a Kansas-based nurse, highlighted the challenge of deciphering medication dosages from paper charts, which almost led to a dangerous overdose for an infant. He pointed out that such problems never happened when the hospital used electronic systems before the ransomware attack. Lisa Watson, another ICU nurse, also reported nearly giving the wrong medication to a critically ill patient due to the inability to scan drugs as they used to.
The compromised digital systems have forced staff to rely on outdated and unreliable methods, significantly increasing the risk of errors. Despite having experience with paper charts, nurses like Watson stressed that the current system is far from adequate compared to their previous electronic record-keeping practices.
In Maryland, ICU nurse Melissa LaRue almost administered the wrong dose of blood pressure medication due to the overwhelming amount of paperwork and the absence of digital scanning. She emphasized the potential for harm in the current chaotic environment.
Cyberattacks on healthcare institutions are becoming alarmingly common. The FBI’s recent internet crime report revealed that nearly 1,200 organizations fell victim to ransomware in 2023, with 250 reports coming from medical groups—the highest among the 16 industries covered in the report. Experts warn that such attacks not only pilfer patient information but also pose grave threats to public safety by potentially blocking access to life-saving medications and treatments.
Cybersecurity expert Steven McKeon has warned that outdated security systems and fragile infrastructures make healthcare networks easy prey for hackers. He emphasized that the situation will likely worsen if significant improvements are not made.
Sean Fitzpatrick, Ascension’s vice president of external communications, stated via email that patient care remains their top priority despite the cyberattack. However, the persistent issues reported by staff suggest that the healthcare system is struggling to maintain care quality amid the fallout from the cyberattack.
Source: Red Right Newsfeed
Leave a Comment