Nevada

Dianne Meyer
Las Vegas, NV

One night Dianne Meyer noticed a pain in her side. She went to the hospital near her home very late at night. The ER was deserted. The hospital did blood work, took urine samples, and performed an x-ray before telling her that she had 2 small kidney stones. She was told that she would pass them without a problem within a few days, and gave her pain medication.

Over the next two days, Dianne became increasingly ill. She returned to the Emergency Room, where they kept her waiting for some time while they prepared a room for her in the hospital. Tests later revealed that Dianne did not have two small kidney stones. Instead, she had one large one. By this time Dianne's body had gone septic - infection had spread throughout her body. Dianne stopped breathing and became comatose from the sepsis. Another reaction to the sepsis was the development of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). While she eventually recovered from the coma, that was not the end of Dianne's nightmare. The infection had progressed to her extremities, and both of her legs were amputated below the knee. She had to learn to walk again using prosthetic limbs.

Danielle Richardson
Las Vegas, NV

Danielle became pregnant in 2000 and went to her doctor for prenatal care. Her estimated delivery date was November 19, 2000. Lab work revealed anemia. Later tests also revealed anemia as the pregnancy progressed, and her urinalysis tested positive for a "large amount of blood." The medical records do not indicate advice for treating the anemia other than recommending that she "take her vitamins."

Danielle went into labor, and went to the hospital. A stat Complete Blood Count (CBC) was drawn at 6:00 AM. The test results showed a profound anemia. The Doctor arrived at the hospital around 7:55 AM to examine Danielle, by which time she was having strong uterine contractions. By this time, the baby was showing signs of distress and a vacuum-assist was used to expedite delivery. During the birth Danielle lost approximately 200 cc of blood.

Danielle was sent to recovery at 8:05 and arrived in her room at 9:15 AM. Her vital signs were taken when she got to the room - the last time her vital signs were recorded until 2:00 PM. During this time Danielle was complaining of vaginal flow, and several half-dollar size blood clots were recorded. Danielle's mother, who was in the room with her, reported that blood was soaking the bed pad and that she had a large bloody discharge when she went to the bathroom. She was complaining of dizziness. The nursing staff responded by increasing her intravenous flow but did not call for doctors, check her vital signs, or take any other action.

By 1:55 PM, Danielle's condition had become very serious. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and her head dropped to the side. By 2:18, her pulse had dropped to nothing and she stopped breathing. The CODE team arrived and began chest compressions. She was moved to the ICU where she arrived with seizures, clenched jaws and rigid extremities. The loss of oxygen to the brain as a result of Danielle's anemia and blood loss caused her irreversible anoxic brain damage. Danielle can no longer talk or communicate. Her only vocalizations are screeches. She has severely impaired vision, but appears to be aware of her surroundings.

August 2004