Every day, medical patients in Kentucky place their lives in the hands of skilled and capable physicians and nurses. Patients and families trust that these skilled medical professionals will perform their duties to the best of their capabilities and conduct the appropriate tests and/or evaluations required for successful treatment. However, humans will make mistakes and when mistakes are made by medical providers, patients suffer the consequences. A medical malpractice claim filed in another state alleged that negligence by medical staff left a woman with permanent brain damage.
According to the lawsuit, the woman was undergoing a minor procedure to replace a pacemaker. The lawsuit alleged that providers gave the woman too much Propofol, which is a sedative drug. The woman went into cardiac arrest but doctors were unaware because they had turned off the alarms on the vital sign monitors, the lawsuit said. Allegedly, one of the doctors eventually noticed that the woman’s vital signs were crashing and asked if anyone had checked for a pulse.
Providers began CPR and restarted the woman’s heart, but the woman had went nearly 10 minutes without oxygen. She was left with disabling and permanent brain damage, according to claims. The family said the woman now has the mental capacity of a 5-year-old. The plaintiffs were seeking $63 million in damages but the lawsuit was reportedly settled for an undisclosed amount.
There will always be risk associated with any medical procedure, no matter how minor. Any error during a procedure can have disastrous effects for patients and families. Kentucky families who have been affected by medical malpractice can take action by discussing the matter with an attorney and filing a claim.