This case report comes from Maryland. The patient, 27 years old, was taken to the hospital by his mother due to feeling ill. He was admitted to the hospital and the emergency room doctor called the patient’s internist to advise him of the admission and his patient’s condition. A doctor in training at the hospital made a second call to the internist, also advising the doctor of his patient’s condition.
The patient’s parents remained with him throughout his admission. Their son’s condition worsened and, at one point, he lost consciousness while using the bathroom. After six hours passed without their son being examined by a doctor, the parents alerted the nurses to the fact that their son’s fingers and toes were turning blue. A nurse immediately notified 3 physicians who administered intravenous Vancomycin (an antibiotic). This treatment was unsuccessful and the patient died from septic shock due to a MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) infection. The internist never came to the hospital.
A wrongful death medical negligence suit (Estate of Adrian Bennett v. Shoaib A. Hashmi, MD) was filed by the parents against the internist and the jury awarded the family a verdict of over $2 million.
What a senseless (and preventable) loss of life!