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Medical Error at University of Pennsylvania Hospital Results in Permanent Heart Damage to Phila. Woman: Law Firm

Posted on: Tuesday, 29 November 2005, 09:00 CST

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Clarissa Walker, a 40- year-old, single mother from Philadelphia, entered the emergency room of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) to be treated for abdominal pain. However, as a result of medication and treatment errors -- admitted to her in writing by the hospital -- she suffered a heart attack and now lives with irreversible cardiac damage.

What happened to Ms. Walker nearly two years ago is detailed in a lawsuit filed November 14, 2005 in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas alleging corporate and medical negligence in the failure by the hospital and its staff to properly treat her with the right medication properly administered.

The Complaint, filed by the law firm of Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky, PC, alleges that Ms. Walker's caregivers failed to administer her prescribed medicine as her doctors had ordered, namely through an IV.

According to the Complaint, shortly after being admitted, Ms. Walker was given, through an IV, fluids, pain killers and antibiotics. She quickly developed a rash at the site of the IV insertion and complained of having difficulty breathing. Ms. Walker was moved to the intensive care unit for closer monitoring, where a doctor called for the injection of epinephrine, commonly known as adrenaline, by needle to keep her airway open and facilitate breathing. The nurse on duty mistakenly administered the medication through an IV, immediately triggering a heart attack from which the patient sustained serious, disabling and permanent medical injuries.

Michael F. Barrett, Esquire, who along with Mary T. Gidaro, Esquire, is representing Ms. Walker, says the patient's treatment record clearly shows that she was to receive the proper dosage of epinephrine by hypodermic needle. Drugs delivered intravenously are routinely given at diluted dosages because they are injected directly into the bloodstream and have more immediate physiological effects.

"No apology can erase the extreme pain and suffering of Ms. Walker," says Barrett. "She wants to make sure what happened to her never happens to another patient. She placed her full faith and confidence in the hospital and her medical team. She trusted them to follow their own treatment plan, and that trust was breached." He says that Walker continues to suffer from extreme anxiety and other emotional distress associated with her heart condition.

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Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky, P.C. is dedicated to the representation of people who have been seriously or fatally injured. With offices in Philadelphia and Voorhees, N.J., the firm specializes in highly complex cases, including those involving medical malpractice, catastrophic construction site and other workplace accidents, products and premises liability and civil rights. Its main office is located on the 52nd Floor of One Liberty Place in Center City Philadelphia. For further information call 215- 496-8282 or visit http://www.smbb.com .

http://www.usnewswire.com

Source: U.S. Newswire

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