Americans die each year from workplace
to encourage others. His story is the first in
injuries. However, other studies conducted
a series about survivors who are willing to
on hospitalized patient populations have
share their story to bless you or someone
placed much higher estimates on the overall you know. We asked him to share his expe-
incidence of
rience, and found
serious ADRs.
his positive atti-
These studies
tude about life
estimate that 6.7%
and the strength
of hospitalized
of his faith to be a
patients have a
strong testament
serious adverse
to the goodness
drug reaction with
and mercy of
a fatality rate of
God.
0.32%.2 If these
HimPower:
estimates are
We think the first
correct, then there
thing people will
are more than
want to know
Franklin with his wife Michelle
2,216,000 serious
is how did the
ADRs in hospital-
adverse drug reac-
ized patients, causing over 106,000 deaths
tion happen and what you can tell us about
annually. If true, then ADRs are the 4th
it?
leading cause of death—ahead of pulmonary
Bamberg: It was caused by a combination
disease, diabetes, AIDS, pneumonia, acci-
of amoxicillin and meloxicam. Initially, I
3
dents, and automobile deaths.”
was prescribed amoxicillin, and about three
Sadly, no one is immune to the possi-
months later I was prescribed meloxicam. I
bility of an adverse drug reaction from
could take one separately, it was the combi-
prescription medication. This brings us to
nation of both that caused the adverse reac-
Franklin Bamberg’s Jr.’s story. Like most
tion.
people, when asked by the doctor if he was
HimPower: What were the symptoms?
allergic to an antibiotic, his answer was,
Bamberg: It started out with blisters, my
“Not to my knowledge”, and like most
lips were peeling and my eyes were pink, but
people he never expected taking it this time the doctors really didn’t check the blisters or
would be different from any other.
the peeling on my lips.
It has been almost a year since the
HimPower: For most of us, it’s hard to
adverse drug reaction that could have taken imagine something like this happen. How
his life. Yet today, not only can he say, “I’M
do you feel about it and do you think the
STILL HERE”, but he uses his testimony
doctor should have known the risk?
20 HimPower August 2017