Wrongful death lawsuit filed against St. Thomas, NHC, others

http://www.murfreesboropost.com/wrongful-death-lawsuit-filed-against-st-thomas-nhc-others-cms-45398

A Texas woman is seeking $5 million in a wrongful death lawsuit claiming her elderly mother died from negligence by local healthcare providers, mainly involving a botched diuretic prescription. If you need attorney for wrongful death attorney case then check here.

Sharon Elizabeth Conway filed the complaint Oct. 5 on behalf of her mother, Clara Hamner Conway, who died Aug. 28, 2015, after gaining 30 pounds in only 18 days while being treated at St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital and NHC Murfreesboro, according to court documents.

The lawsuit names St. Thomas Rutherford, NHC Murfreesboro, Dr. Zakaria Botros, Dr. Evans Neal Mize, Dr. Susana Irias Donaghey, Wellness Solutions and nurse practitioner Miatta Kebee Hampton.

Conway was admitted to the hospital Aug. 6-10, 2015 for symptomatic anemia (shortage of iron), acute gastritis (inflammation or swelling of the stomach lining), COPD exacerbation (shortness of breath) and mild hypokalemia (a low potassium level).

She was discharged weighing 158 pounds and readmitted Aug. 18 due to shortness of breath. During those eight days, she gained 15 pounds but complained of decreased appetite, according to the lawsuit, and also showed signs of swelling in her extremities.

The lawsuit contends the weight gain was caused by abnormal fluid retention, which, if left untreated, can lead to heart failure and death. The problem often is treated through diuretics, increasing the excretion of water and salt in the body.

Conway was prescribed 20 milligrams of Lasix by mouth every other day, and Botros requested consultation by pulmonologist Dr. Richard Parrish, who recommended diuretics for failure of the left side of her heart. If that didn’t bring improvement, she was to undergo a procedure to remove excess fluid from her chest, according to the suit.

Despite Parrish’s recommendation, she received only one 20-milligram dosage of Lasix on Aug. 19 and not another until Aug. 24 when she was given a 40-milligram tablet of Lasix, according to the filing.

The lawsuit contends Botros and Mize should have known she suffered dangerous levels of fluid retention but failed to take appropriate steps to treat her.

After six days at St. Thomas, weighing 188 pounds, she was transferred to NHC Murfreesboro where a nurse noted significant swelling in her lower extremities, the lawsuit says.

In the transfer, a discrepancy occurred in orders for Lasix to be administered at 40 milligrams every day instead of every other day, and the conflicting prescription order was not recognized, according to the lawsuit.

“This dosage was insufficient to manage the abnormal fluid retention in her body,” the lawsuit states.

On Aug. 25, the patient suffered an episode of respiratory distress. Despite continuing problems and abnormal lab results, physicians were not notified and no changes were made in her medications, according to the lawsuit.

Even as the patient continued having problems with oxygen levels, repeated respiratory distress was not addressed with diuretic medication, the filing contends.

She was found unresponsive Aug. 28, 2015 and taken to St. Thomas Rutherford where she was pronounced dead.

The lawsuit contends the “volume overload of fluid retention caused her increasing respiratory distress” and made her gain 30 pounds in 18 days. “Left untreated, these conditions caused cardiac arrest and untimely and wrongful death,” the lawsuit states.

Officials with St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital and NHC Murfreesboro did not return phone calls.

Sam Stockard can be reached at sstockard44@gmail.com.

Filed under: General Problems