New York Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog
A group of prominent NYC Medical Malpractice Lawyers has filed a case on behalf of the spouse of a patient who died after knee surgery. The patient passed away two days after the surgery due to an injury of the brain.
The patient had surgery on his left knee in April 2010 in Northwest Georgia Orthopedic Surgery Center. The entire medical team was made aware that the patient suffered from obstructive sleep apnea. This put him at a higher risk than normal for various complications after the surgery.
The New York Medical Malpractice Lawyers explain that the doctors then decided that the patient was fit enough to return home. It is alleged that the doctors did not correctly administer drugs. He was given Dilaudid even though he was not in any pain when he was submitted.
The nurses helped the patient to get dressed. Then his wife collected him at around 11:30, the timing is important because it is before the drugs he was given actually had time to take effect. The doctors also failed to evaluate his condition before discharging him.
The medical records, which were available, showed that the patient had only spent around 30 minutes in the recovery ward after recovering from the anesthetic. Around 45 minutes after being picked up by his wife and while still on his way home he suffered a fatal heart attack and was admitted to hospital. He died two weeks later.
The New York Medical Malpractice Lawyer handling the case explains that the two drugs administered to manage pain can cause respiratory depression; the risk of this happening is more serious when the patient also suffers from sleep apnea. Normal guidelines suggest that patients with sleep apnea which have this drug should be monitored every three hours, and should only be discharged when there is no risk of their condition deteriorating.
Both the doctor, anesthetist and the hospital where the procedure tool place are all mentioned in the medical malpractice case. All of the defendants have denied any responsibility in the case and the trial is still ongoing. The wrong medication is something which happens in many hospitals, including those in Queens, New York City.
Medical malpractice claims can be very complicated and should never be attempted without first hiring a New York Medical Malpractice Attorney. A New York Medical Malpractice Attorney will be able to help you to see whether you have a case, and how best to file it.