Question

On June 28, 2006, Cynthia Adae was taken to Clinton Memorial Hospital with symptoms of right shoulder pain, limited range of motion of her right upper extremity, a cough, and a fever. The attending physician suspected it was an infection or thyroid abnormality. After ordering a series of blood tests, the physicians discharged Adae the next day without confirming the results. On July 1, Adae was admitted to another hospital, Middletown Regional Hospital, and was again discharged without a diagnosis and without the hospital getting the blood culture results that were performed at Clinton Memorial Hospital. In fact, the physician at Clinton Memorial Hospital was made aware of the blood culture results on July 2 but failed to advise the patient of those results or take any action to further evaluate or treat her. Four days later, Adae was readmitted to Middletown Regional Hospital, where she was finally diagnosed with an epidural abscess. By that time, however, Adae had developed progressive paraplegia, weakness of her upper and lower extremities, slurred speech, and acute renal failure. Adae sued Clinton Memorial Hospital and its affiliate teaching university Although Clinton Memorial Hospital was sued, should Middletown Regional Hospital have been included in the lawsuit? Why was the hospital sued and not the physician who misdiagnosed the patient and neglected to confirm the blood culture tests?

Answer 1

Cynthia Adea when she was sick approached Clinton Memorial Hospital first and after investigations was discharged the next day. When the reports were ready and the physician was informed ,it is his responsibility to inform the patient through the hospital and not personally. Failure of the hospital to report the abnormal reports to patients is a sort of negligence by the organization as a whole and not the physician who misdiagnosed. Here Middletown hospital is another or a secondary hospital which has no direct link to the primary hospit for being sued.Moreover it was in Middletown hospital the patient was diagnosed for the disease making it not vulnerable for lawsuits .