Overview

This page concerns trauma care at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center in which severe chest trauma allegedly required prompt airway protection, but neither the emergency physician nor the trauma team secured the airway in time, and nursing staff allegedly failed to closely monitor the patient’s respiratory decline.

System Wellstar Health System
Fact pattern Severe chest trauma followed by failure to secure the airway, failed emergent intubation, and poor respiratory monitoring
Alleged harm Wrongful death from oxygen deprivation

Chronology

  1. Caleb Turner was involved in a car accident and taken to Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center with severe chest trauma.
  2. Dr. Richisa Salazar allegedly failed to recognize the severity of his condition and did not promptly intubate him or take other measures to secure his airway.
  3. When Caleb went into respiratory arrest, the trauma team allegedly failed to emergently intubate him or perform a surgical airway procedure.
  4. The nurses allegedly failed to closely monitor his vital signs, and Caleb died from oxygen deprivation caused by the failure to manage his airway and respiratory status.

Alleged failures

Dr. Richisa Salazar allegedly failed to recognize the severity of Caleb Turner’s chest-trauma condition and failed to secure his airway promptly.

The trauma team allegedly failed to emergently intubate him or perform a surgical airway once respiratory arrest occurred.

Nursing staff allegedly failed to closely monitor vital signs during the patient’s respiratory decline.

Entities

Wellstar Health SystemWellstar Atlanta Medical CenterDr. Richisa SalazarTrauma teamSurgical airwayVital signsSevere chest trauma
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