Unrecognized spinal infection leads to paralysis
A 355-LB MAN WITH DIABETES AND SPINAL DISC DISEASE experienced a sharp pain between his shoulder blades after playing golf, followed by constant back pain radiating to his chest. He went to the emergency department (ED) the next day and was admitted to the hospital to rule out a heart attack.
During a week in the hospital, the patient was seen by several doctors and diagnosed with pneumonia and excessive myoglobin levels. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the thorax and abdomen showing fluid buildup in the lining around the lungs led to the pneumonia diagnosis. No definitive spinal view was available, however, because of a mixup between a secretary and a radiology technician.
When the patient saw the hospital attending physician (at the family practice group where she was a partner) after discharge from the hospital, he complained of shooting pain down his spine. The doctor prescribed muscle relaxants. Soon afterward, the patient developed difficulty walking and reported no bowel movements for 13 days.
Almost 2 weeks after discharge from the hospital, the patient broke his ankle. He told the paramedics who responded that he felt numb from his nipples to his feet. He was taken to a community hospital, where a doctor ordered another CT scan. The radiologist who read the scan failed to identify the serious spinal infection it indicated.
The patient was transferred back to the original hospital. No doctor saw him for 8 hours after transfer, by which time he was paralyzed from the chest down.
PLAINTIFF’S CLAIM The fluid buildup on the first CT scan was caused not by pneumonia but by an infection in the spinal discs that had spread to the vertebrae and surrounding tissue.
THE DEFENSE The attending physician denied at trial that the patient had told her about the shooting pains down his spine during the posthospitalization visit.
VERDICT $4.75 million Illinois verdict, preceded by more than $2.7 million in settlements with some of the doctors involved and the community hospital.
COMMENT Careful follow-up of ED visits and coordinated care are essential to avoid large verdicts such as this one.