The February 2010 prescription drug overdose death of a young U.S. Marine at Portsmouth Naval Hospital is being blamed, in part, on a hot shower that appears to have increased the absorpton of fentanyl from a pain patch applied to relieve cancer pain. Ezequiel Freire’s family is not satisfied with the explanation for why their sone and brother lost his life, the Virginian-Pilot reports.
Freire was receiving a number of opioid pankillers that each have the potential to dangerously slow a patent’s breathing. The Marine’s family member is arguing that doctors and nurses treaing Freire were negligent in mixing painkillers, not warning him about potentially deadly side effects and failing to adequately the young man’s condition on the day he died.
This young man’s death is made all the more tragic knowing it could have been prevented. As a patient in the hospital, one expects to be taken care of on all levels. This young man could not have known on his own that a shower was a bad idea. You have to wonder where were his doctors and nurses? As medical professionals, it was their responsibility to provide important medical advice about the dangerous drugs.
Sadly, Freire’s family has no legal recourse against the hospital, since the Feres Doctrine prevents lawsuits against the government on behalf of military service members. Justice will not be served, despite this obvious case of negligence.
CD