Man Sues Hospital After Suffering Deep Vein Thrombosis
May 17, 2013
Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) May 16, 2013 – A Louisiana man is suing a local hospital, alleging inattentive care left him with deep vein thrombosis in both legs.
Louis A. Dirosa of Jefferson Parish filed a lawsuit against four defendants in connection with his February, 2010 hospitalization. He says that after he was admitted to the hospital, a nurse gave him an enema and left him on a bedpan. Dirosa alleges that he fell asleep and was left on the bedpan for four and a half hours, which caused painful swelling, deep indentations in his skin, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in both of his legs.
“Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is all too common in nursing home and hospital patients who are left unattended for too long,” said Greg Grambor, president of Vascular PRN, a distributor of DVT prevention devices.
Dirosa’s lawsuit names West Jefferson Hospital, parent company West Jefferson Medical Center Hospital & Health System, Karen Tassin, R.N., and Kristi St. Martin, M.D., as defendants. Dirosa says he went to the emergency room at West Jefferson Hospital after experiencing dizziness, severe headaches, nausea, and vomiting. The symptoms were later found to be the result of a fall he had suffered two weeks earlier.
Dirosa accused the defendants of medical malpractice due to failing to meet acceptable standards of care. He alleged that his diagnosis required him to be closely observed.
Deep vein thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot, usually in the legs. Potentially serious complications such as heart attack, stroke, and pulmonary embolism can arise when the clot breaks free and travels to other parts of the body.
“The risk of DVT can be dramatically decreased with compression therapy devices,” added Grambor. “Patients who are bedridden or otherwise immobilized are often fitted with compression devices that assist in maintaining blood flow and preventing clots. This is especially attractive as an alternative to expensive and potentially risky blood thinning medications.”
The case, assigned to Judge Cornelius E. Regan, seeks unspecified damages and attorney’s fees.
