Sadly, lack of appropriate care causes the death of many Illinois patients. In one such case, a 26-year-old medical school graduate was killed after being hospitalized on a short-staffed Memorial Day weekend. She died from a blood clot that developed in her brain and her family filed a lawsuit claiming hospital negligence.
The woman went to the hospital after experiencing symptoms of painful headaches that continued over a period of time. She informed medical staff that even though she took non-prescription medications, the pain would not subside. During her stay, medical staff administered pain medications, but none of them made note of her health history of taking the NuvaRing contraceptive nor was a CT scan ordered. Days passed before a CT scan was completed and by that time, the woman’s blood clot became life-threatening.
Following the CT scan, the woman underwent an MRI, but medical staff did not complete it due to the woman apparently losing part of her vision. However, even without completing the exam, it displayed hemorrhage of the brain. The woman was transferred to another hospital and an additional test demonstrated that she had irreversible brain damage with no hope of recovering. She slipped into a coma and died after being taken off life support.
Hospital negligence is the cause of many patient deaths that occur in a medical facility. In this case, the woman may have survived from her condition if medical staff acted promptly and appropriately. Failing to do so resulted in a young woman losing her life. Illinois families who have lost a loved one due to inadequate care may wish to initiate medical malpractice claims against medical staff and/or the facility where treatment occurred. This may give surviving families much needed relief on behalf of the deceased victims.
Source: timesleader.com, Malpractice suit filed in young doctor’s death, Jerry Lynott, Jan. 8, 2014
