ER nurse
N/AOUTCOME:
Obtained a defense verdict for an emergency room nurse in a medical malpractice case involving a severe brain injury to a nine year old child. The child was brought into the emergency room of a commun ... ity hospital suffering from severe diabetic ketoacidosis. While awaiting transport to a pediatric intensive care hospital, she suffered a stroke which left her permanently severely disabled. Plaintiffs, which included the parents of the child, alleged that the emergency room nurse over-hydrated the child in violation of doctor’s orders, failed to obtain repeat blood sugars and failed to report significant neurologic changes in the child, all of which led to cerebral edema and the infarct. The defense countered Plaintiffs claims by offering expert testimony that the child was not overly hydrated and that the scientific evidence does not show that hydration plays any role whatsoever in cerebral edema. The defense also presented testimony and evidence that an emergency room nurse cannot, without a physician’s order or a standing order, order repeat blood sugars. Finally, Plaintiffs claim that the nurse failed to report significant neurological changes in the child were countered by noting that the changes the child was having, if any, were extremely subtle in nature, and that her pediatrician testified that he was at bedside throughout most of the evening and did not note any changes himself. In the trial, which took three and a half weeks and included expert testimony of no less than twelve defense and plaintiff experts, the Indian River County jury deliberated for twelve hours before returning a defense verdict. The Plaintiff sought over $65,000,000.00 in damages which included a comprehensive life care plan for the child.
