Earlier this year, a young woman had an endoscopy performed so that doctors could try to figure out what was causing the woman to experience odd stomach pain. The procedure involves inserting a small camera inside a patient’s body to get a close look at different organs and parts of the body. Although the procedure is commonly performed in Illinois and throughout the country, the young woman was severely harmed when doctors performed the endoscopy in January.
The 19-year-old is now in a vegetative state as a result of the severe brain damage she had suffered during the endoscopy procedure. The young woman’s parents believe that their daughter’s brain injuries could have been prevented. The woman’s parents recently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit claiming that doctors had failed to properly monitor the woman’s vital signs during the procedure. The lawsuit also claims that the couple’s daughter was given the wrong amount of anesthesia during the routine procedure.
The young woman’s parents have been devastated by what has happened. The young woman had a bright future ahead of her. She had just completed her first semester of college, and she enjoyed cheerleading. Now the couple’s daughter is confined to a bed and is unable to interact with others.
During the endoscopy, the young woman went into cardiac and respiratory arrest. The woman’s family believes that this happened because doctors failed to properly monitor the patient’s condition and vital signs while performing the procedure. Had doctors paid attention to the patient’s health, the woman’s doctors would have realized that something was seriously wrong and that the woman needed medical attention.
In addition to not properly monitoring the patient, the lawsuit claims that doctors did not administer the correct amount of anesthesia during the procedure, which also contributed to the woman’s injuries. When the woman went into cardiac and respiratory arrest, she suffered severe brain damage and has remained in a vegetative state ever since.
Source: lohud.com, “Phelps hospital, 2 doctors sued over student’s vegetative state,” Erik Shilling, May 2, 2013