In 2006, Harold Hicks was admitted to Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, Fla., for a blocked intestine requiring surgery. According to the lawsuit, Scott Wurm, MD, ordered Mr. Hick’s stomach to be pumped, which was allegedly never done, before the operation. Dr. Wurm also allegedly left the room after he ordered a nurse anesthetist to intubate Mr. Hicks. Physicians are expected to supervise intubations.
As a result, Mr. Hicks threw up and breathed his vomit back into his lungs. This led to brain damage and an infection that later caused his death, the lawsuit contends. The payor cited the physician’s absence as a factor in the patient’s death and awarded Mr. Hicks’ wife $1 million.
The hospital is not named in the lawsuit, and an attorney representing Dr. Wurm has denied wrongdoing and argued vomiting during intubation is a common complication.
Read the news report about the $1 million settlement payment to Harold Hicks’ wife.
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