Case Update: Anesthesiologist's Hospital Settles
A previous case about a cardiac arrest during a hybrid maze procedure has now settled.
I originally published it 3 years ago.
The patient had a respiratory arrest before the procedure began.
Both a CRNA and an anesthesiologist were present, although it’s unclear how close the physician was supervising.
One of the odd things about this case is that neither the anesthesiologist nor the CRNA were named as defendants. Only their employer and the hospital were sued.
In addition to updating the outcome of the lawsuit, I also added the text in which the plaintiffs made their exact accusations.
Learn from other people’s medical errors (or simply bad luck) so you can avoid them yourself.
Become a better doctor by reviewing a new case every week.
This week’s case for paying subscribers is about opioid overdose malpractice.
A patient was given naloxone by EMS and brought to the ED.
She was discharged after a short observation, but was found dead at home the next day.
Her family sued the ER doctor, making a specific allegation about the care he provided.
Can you guess what the primary allegation was based on the postmortem toxicology results?
This is a classic malpractice issue that I’ve seen before and illustrates a key pitfall that even board-certified physicians sometimes miss.
Read the full case here: