Failure to Hold Blood Pressure Medication per Physician Orders
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that blood pressure medications were held according to physician-ordered parameters for two residents diagnosed with hypotension. For one resident, midodrine was ordered to be held if the systolic blood pressure (SBP) exceeded 135 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) exceeded 85 mmHg. Despite this, the medication was administered when the resident's SBP was 142 mmHg. An LPN confirmed during interview that blood pressure medications should not be given when readings are outside the specified range. For another resident, midodrine was ordered to be held if the SBP was greater than 140 mmHg. The medication administration record showed multiple instances where midodrine was administered despite SBP readings ranging from 144 to 151 mmHg. These actions were not in accordance with the physician's orders and the residents' clinical needs as documented in their records.