Not many people are aware that negligent medical care is a leading cause of death and injury in Kentucky and across the United States. Any missed step during medical treatment can mean serious injury and even death for the patient. No patient is exempt from medical malpractice. A woman in another state filed a lawsuit after alleged negligence led to her suffering heart problems.
The lawsuit said the woman was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer and began seeing an oncologist who prescribed her a medication called doxorubicin. According to claims, cardiology tests are usually performed prior to administering this medication, but the oncologist gave the plaintiff doxorubicin without conducting an echocardiogram test. Over the next few months, the plaintiff experienced troubling symptoms including a rapid heartbeat and dizziness.
After receiving cancer treatment for six months, the lawsuit said the woman experienced fainting which prompted her to visit a cardiologist. The cardiologist conducted an echocardiogram and it was allegedly discovered that the woman had cardiomyopathy caused by the doxorubicin. Allegedly, the woman had to undergo a procedure to have a pacemaker implanted, now requires a wheelchair and is in need of a heart transplant. The lawsuit accuses the oncologist of negligence over claims that cardio tests should have been performed before he administered doxorubicin.
Although the United States is the most prosperous and advanced country in the world, the health care system here still has its problems. In Kentucky, when negligent care results in injuries to a patient, he or she can take legal action and file a medical malpractice claim. Damages from a successfully litigated claim could help victims and families get through this tragedy.