Overview

This page concerns a thyroidectomy case at Piedmont Augusta Hospital in which a known risk of post-operative neck bleeding allegedly was not met with the immediate response required when a hematoma can compress the windpipe and suffocate the patient within minutes.

System Piedmont Healthcare
Fact pattern Post-thyroidectomy neck bleeding, airway compression, and delayed emergency response
Alleged harm Profound brain injury and death

Chronology

  1. Evelyn Hart underwent a thyroidectomy at Piedmont Augusta Hospital.
  2. A known complication of thyroidectomy is bleeding in the neck that forms a hematoma and compresses the windpipe.
  3. The complaint states that Piedmont Augusta had not properly trained and instructed staff to respond immediately at the first sign of neck bleeding or difficulty breathing.
  4. Evelyn suffocated after surgery, suffered profound brain injury, lingered in the hospital for weeks, and then died.

Alleged failures

Piedmont Augusta allegedly failed to make sure staff were properly trained and instructed to respond immediately to post-thyroidectomy neck bleeding.

Hospital staff allegedly failed to respond immediately at the first sign of difficulty breathing from a neck hematoma.

The hospital’s failure to prepare for and respond to a known airway emergency allegedly led to suffocation, brain injury, and death.

Entities

Piedmont HealthcarePiedmont Augusta HospitalThyroidectomyNeck hematomaWindpipe compressionHospital staff
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