Is this Malpractice?

Question

My mother was admited into the hospital on Sunday for a high heart rate and her body was swollen. My mom has a thyroid disease, and she is also bi-polor, she refuses to take her medicine. Well they first thought that she had blood clots in her lungs and turns out it wasnt blood clots that it was her hyper thyroids that made her heart beat so fast, in order to slow down my mothers heart beat they gave her two beta-blockers, and not soon after that (30 min) she flatlined it stoped her heart completly. Im worried that they should of only gave my mom one beta blocker because of my moms weight(90 pounds). Has anyone had similar problems? My mom is still on lifesupport, and things are not looking good. She is pretty much brain dead and they said it was because she flatlined and she didnt get any oxygen to her brain...? Please help!

Answer 1

The flip side worth considering is the problem that she may not have made it to 30 minutes without the beta blockers. If they only gave her one, she may have been dead in only five minutes or less instead.

These kind of cases are probably the most trying in healthcare as the patient has obviously been sick for a very long time (anasarca or bodily swelling, doesn't happen overnight), and also actively undermines her care (refuses to take medications). Her psychiatric history is probably to blame. Whether her bipolar (manic depression) disease played a role in this particular event is unclear. But given the diagnosis, I'm sure that it would have plaved a large part in her overall health history and was a contributing factor in its decline.

Were the docs who treated her negligent? Not from anything that I'd read so far. But I would suggest that you take the case to one of those contingency attorneys who don't charge anything unless they take the case and win. They usually have a team of expert doctors working with them to give them an idea of whether there's a case or not. If they decline, then generally it's because their expert doctors didn't find anything wrong.

My sincerest condolences. I wish your mother well.

Ralph

Answer 2

I am sorry for your mother's health crisis. You are hurting and feel helpless right now. Because of your mother's mental illness, she made some bad choices that led to this crisis. It is normal for you to look for someone to blame. Later you can have the medical records reviewed and see if everything was done the way it should have been. For now focus on your mother's care and be there with her as much as you can.

Answer 3

First of all please accept my heartfelt condolences, on the sad demise of your mother. May her soul rest i eternal peace is heaven.
Coming to your question, the answer is there was a gross negligence of part of the hospital staff and the giving to beta blocker in one go is not recommended , as it slow down the cardiac rate. Giving it with bloo clot is a Blunder, as beta blocker is not recommended in lung problems. I tell you they are butchers, it was engineered killing.
Sue them up. I wish I was your attorny.