Vancouver woman sues PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, alleging medical negligence
A Vancouver woman has filed a lawsuit against PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center that alleges medical negligence left her paraplegic after a bacterial bloodstream infection was improperly treated for three days.
In the complaint filed June 1 in Clark County Superior Court, Adrianna Mello argues she wasn't treated promptly last year for a bacterial bloodstream infection called Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus, also known as MSSA bacteremia.
Mello claims clinicians were aware she was developing the infection after two blood culture DNA identification panels tested positive for MSSA bacteremia and she showed progressing neurological deficits. As a result of the infection, the lawsuit states, Mello sustained a thoracic spinal cord injury that caused paraplegia, among other conditions.
The suit seeks economic and other damages in amounts to be proven at trial.
A spokesperson for PeaceHealth said the hospital cannot comment on pending litigation, but "remain steadfast in our commitment to providing our patients with safe, high-quality and compassionate care every time."
On Oct. 7, Mello went to the emergency department at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center after experiencing severe abdominal pain for four days. Upon examination by the evaluating emergency medicine physician, Mello appeared in pain and demonstrated abdominal tenderness, court records state.
Initial laboratory studies showed Mello had an elevated amount of D-dimer levels and leukocytosis. Medical imaging also revealed inflammation of the gallbladder.
The emergency medicine physician at the time consulted with a general surgeon, who recommended further diagnostic workup and admission to the hospital, according to court records.
Upon admission, Mello was given a strong antibiotic, and a blood culture DNA identification panel was collected.
On the morning of Oct. 8, a physician assistant noted Mello was likely suffering from an infection, court records state. She tested positive for MSSA bacteremia. Despite the results, Mello's antibiotics were not exchanged for some with a higher efficacy against MSSA bacteremia, according to court records.
Mello remained feverish and with a fast heart rate until the evening. A second blood culture DNA identification panel tested positive for MSSA bacteremia, and a nurse tried to page doctors about this development with no response, court records state.
A pharmacist messaged the nurse and advised to give Mello a more powerful antibiotic. The nurse received the message but didn't respond. This prompted the pharmacist to message again, this time requesting the nurse notify the doctors that Mello was bacteremic. Again, the nurse received but did not respond to the message, according to court records.
Around 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 9, Mello reported numbness in her right leg and foot. After hours of back and forth, with a nurse raising the concern that Mello had an abscess on her spine and a physician assistant switching her to a stronger antibiotic, at about 11:35 a.m. Oct. 10, a neurosurgeon recommended a spinal MRI. It wasn't performed until seven hours later, according to the lawsuit.
At about 9 p.m., Mello was taken to the operating room for surgery.
Mello was in the hospital for about a month until she was discharged Nov. 10 with a diagnosis of thoracic spinal cord injury and paraplegia.
This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.
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