Daniel E. Holloway
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Northside Hospital amended complaint alleges delayed treatment of a worsening ileus and sepsis before a patient’s death

The amended complaint alleges that the attending physician at Northside Hospital did not timely treat a patient’s worsening bowel condition and infection. She was admitted through the emergency department in December 2021. Over several days, CT scans showed a worsening ileus with possible bowel obstruction while the patient remained tachycardic. The complaint alleges she was not given antibiotics until she reached intensive care, or a surgical consult, and was not kept from eating. A urine culture drew bacteria, and by the time a rapid response team was called she had uncontrollable vomiting and a distended abdomen. Emergency surgery found pelvic infection and septic shock, and she died later that day.

System
Northside Hospital, Inc.
Facility
Northside Hospital Atlanta
Providers involved
Northside Hospital, Inc. / Prasad Malempati, M.D.
Pattern
Alleged failure to timely treat a worsening ileus and evolving sepsis after repeat emergency-department visits
Harm
Alleged septic shock and death

Overview

This page concerns a public complaint alleging that a Northside Hospital physician did not timely treat a worsening ileus and infection over several days. The patient died of septic shock.

Chronology

The complaint alleges as follows:

  1. On December 2, 2021, the patient, a 26-year-old woman, went to the Northside Hospital Atlanta emergency department with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
  2. A CT scan raised concern for inflammatory or infectious enteritis with an ileus, and she was discharged with instructions related to the ileus.
  3. She returned to the emergency department on December 5, 2021 with the same symptoms and was admitted to the hospital.
  4. A CT scan on December 5 showed a worsening ileus with possible bowel obstruction. A CT scan on December 6 showed stable findings, and no antibiotics, infection treatment, or surgical consult were ordered either day.
  5. On December 7, a urine culture drew bacteria, and the physician still ordered no infection treatment or surgical consult.
  6. Her condition deteriorated that evening, a rapid response team was called, and she was transferred to the intensive care unit.
  7. She underwent emergency surgery on December 8, where purulent fluid, pelvic infection, and septic shock were found, and she died that day.

Alleged failures

The complaint alleges the following failures:

  • The physician did not identify or treat the patient’s evolving ileus.
  • He did not timely evaluate and treat her persistent tachycardia, abnormal white blood count, and distended abdomen, including ordering a surgical consult.
  • He did not order antibiotics or otherwise treat her infection, sepsis, and septic shock in a timely manner.
  • The complaint alleges that timely identification and treatment of the infection, ileus, and sepsis would more likely than not have prevented her death.
  • The complaint pleads medical malpractice and wrongful death against the physician and the hospital, and attaches an expert affidavit under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-9.1.

Entities and tags

Northside Hospital, Inc.IleusBowel obstructionSepsisSeptic shockPelvic inflammatory diseaseFulton CountyDelayed or missed diagnosisDelayed treatmentWrongful deathEmergency medicineInternal medicineGeneral surgeryInfectious disease