Webb County (Tex) District Court
Following a long-standing history of heavy menstrual bleeding resulting in anemia, a 45-year-old obese woman with diabetes presented to her doctor for a hysterectomy.
The woman developed bleeding postoperatively, and a second surgery was necessary to locate and repair the source. Following this second procedure, the patient developed a hospital-borne infection at the site of the wound.
In suing, the woman claimed that the doctor did not issue sufficient postoperative orders to the nurses to monitor her fluid intake and urine. She argued that inadequate urinary output monitoring caused an extended period of shock, which resulted in delayed healing that took 9 months.
The doctor maintained that his notes were adequate and that the nurses properly charted the patient’s fluid intake and urine. Further, he noted that it was impossible to determine whether the shock or the hospitalborne infection caused the delay in healing.
- The jury returned a defense verdict.