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Is the hospital responsible and how to proceed? (Accidents & Personal Injury Law)

Wed, 03 May 2000 12:36:00 GMT
Tags: accidents, car, exam, hospital, injury, lady, law, level, office, personal, proceed, responsible, returned, sugar


One day last week we took a lady to her Dr.'s office. When she returned to the car after her exam she said that her sugar level was high, 400+?, and that she was told by her MD to return the very next AM ( I don't recall exactly what she said it sounded routine perhaps she said for a re-test). But I do know that the MD had indicated to her that she might have to be hospitalized. We took her back to the same office the next AM. She is a diabetic and her sugar was even higher, so as anticipated she was told to go to the hospital for an admit. We dropped her off at the front door of the hospital because the hospital explained the "no children" policy. I planned to return to visit with her, p/up her personal items, d/off items, etc. you know try to attend to her needs, and comfort.
Each time I was about to visit, either no answer on her phone, the nurses said she was off the floor for a procedure or that she was asleep.
I hope that's enough background....let's cut to the chase and the horror of it all.
I kept in touch with her progress through the nurses by phone and I occasionally spoke directly to her. I mention a call to the nurses station in which the person told me to wait about 1 min. then re-ring her room because she was standing there at the station talking, I waited 1-2 min. redialed her rm. and we began talking to the PT. Her vioce was weak, strange, inaudible. At times as though she was having a hard time forming her thoughts/words. I tried to inquire about the procedures she'd been having etc. but she kept saying she'd been right in her bed ! That didn't make sense to me but I know hospital staff might have been refering to another PT. so I tried to let that go Yet I couldn't really stop worrying because the staff was giving me one picture but listening to the Pt combined with her not sounding clear headed, co-herent was painting another. As we talked I was about to end our call because I heard a female voice talking to her. It was a nurse. The Pt. asked me not to hang up but in fact to talk her through the shot. I also heard her ask "nurse what kind of shot is that you're gonna give me? I heard the female voice say " this is Demoral" the pt. said "huh" the female voice again "....Demoral" the pt " Demoral?" female voice "...yes Demoral.. for.. pain". Then the Pt turned her focus to me to tell me it was Demoral for pain. Unfortunatly hearing that exchange between Pt and nurse dismised all my concern about her lack of speaking ability and coherence I thought it was the Demoral. I decided once again not to visit so that she could rest/sleep.
Later that night when I went to the hospital, the lady behind the lobby desk was kind enough to allow me to visit after hrs.( to drop off a cool night gown because the pt called and she was so hot she couldn't sleep ) But when the lady behind the desk called the nurses station to let them know I was coming up, we were told once again that the Pt was sleeping. So I asked if some hospital personel would take the items to the pts room for me. The lady at the lobby desk said she'd see to it. I thanked her and I left the hospital.
I WISH I"D INSISTED ALL THOSE DAYS TO SEE THE PT.
The next morning I called as usual. But to hear from the staff that the Pt had stopped breathing- gone into full arrest and was in ICU on support.
They say they found her own Rx's in her belongings she'd probably taken her medications the MD had prescribed that she p/up from the pharmacy before she went to be admitted.
If I thought somthing didn't sound right in her voice and thinking. Shouldn't the medical staff have heard and seen somthing? If not with their eyes BP? Pulse? HR? TEMP? she also aspirated and has pneumonia to top it off! They act as though it is her fault. Give me a break. Any one I spoke to says DEMORAL makes you confused and you should be confined and watched. I can't help her medically but I feel guilty for trusting the staff what can we do presuming she lives and should anything be done now?

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