Dennis Quaid's New Organization Could Combat Heparin Contamination

New Orleans, LAActor Dennis Quaid has founded a new organization dedicated to the prevention of medical errors that can lead to serious health complications, such as heparin contamination and improper sterilization.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">Quaid helped launch the National Alert Network for Serious Medication Errors after a personal tragedy involving the actor's twin daughters. Shortly after their birth in 2007, the girls were given improper doses of the anti-coagulant Heparin, resulting in serious complications for the newborn children.

The FDA has reported more than 250 allergic reactions and 21 deaths related to complications stemming from heparin reactions. The medication has been shown to provoke difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating and rapidly falling blood pressure that can send a person's system in to shock.

Quaid sued the drug's manufacturer, Baxter Healthcare, for endangering his children's lives with indistinct packaging. The case has since been settled out of court.

The National Alert Network will send e-mail announcements to around 35,000 pharmacists, doctors and nurses to notify medical professionals of potentially serious errors have occurred involving medications.