Daughter says Heparin contributed to Father's Death

St. Louis, MIAlthough Lisa's dad wasn't in the best of health, she believes he died needlessly. Her father passed away after having received Heparin on and off for three months, just before he died.

"My dad was admitted to hospital at the end of 2006 with blood clots and his kidneys weren't working too well," says Lisa, "but he got worse in the hospital; I thought he was supposed to get better! My dad was in a wheelchair because he had Parkinson's disease but he was coherent, joking and talking to all of us when he was first admitted. He had a lot of life in him but he just got so sick with infections that his body just wore out.

He passed away in April 2007.

A number of things happened. Dad ended up in ICU because he contracted pneumonia. He was given Heparin by IV drip but his blood pressure was dropping so they stopped it. At that time, they said he could go home in a few weeks but he wasn't even eating. He went downhill fast and they had to put a feeding tube in him.

I called my Mum and asked if he was given Heparin. She said yes right away. I know he was given Heparin because my Mum has his medical records; it clearly states that Dad was on it for at least three months. One time they gave Heparin to him, he ended up coding but they never told us why. All I know is that his blood pressure dropped while he was on this med. They had a hard time with his blood pressure but none of us had any idea why it was dangerously bad.

My dad was 82 when he passed away and I know he died needlessly. Afterward,
I read a lot about Heparin on the Internet. He was given the Heparin at St. John's Mercy Medical Center here in St. Louis. We didn't talk about it at that time; he was just given it to break the blood clots then he had stents put in. My Dad never complained and in the end he didn't talk much at all: he was on a ventilator for a long time.

He was eventually transferred to a center for the aged and he got good care. But it was just one thing after another, he kept getting these infections and it was one setback after another.

He was always one to have perfect blood pressure, like a teenager. After he was in the hospital, it was never stable. I think the Heparin contributed to his death.

When Heparin was in the news I thought, 'That is odd, that is what my dad had in the hospital'. We never put two and two together until I read up on it. I think he got sick right around the time when other people were having problems with Heparin and he was likely given one of those tainted batches.

Who would think the doctors would give him blood thinner to help but instead it killed him? It is just too coincidental. I can't pinpoint Heparin as the cause but we are all wondering."