Death From Undiagnosed Pulmonary Embolism

Verdict: Not Guilty, both Defendants

Date: February 2011

County: Cook

PLTF Experts: Dr. Richard Zane (Emergency Medicine) Dr. David M. Systrom (Pulmonlogist) and Philip Rushing Ph.D. (Economist)

DEF Experts: Dr. Richard Krause (Emergency Medicine) and Dr. Patrick Fahey (Pulmonologist)

Summary: Plaintiff was brought to the emergency room with symptoms of a heart attack. Defendant physician ordered cardiac consultation to rule out myocardial infarction. Six and a half hours later Plaintiff died of a massive saddle pulmonary embolus. Plaintiff’s estate contended that the Defendant physician should have ordered a diagnostic test to rule out pulmonary embolus and stated Heparin. Defense argued that a pulmonary embolism is very hard to diagnose and that the Heparin would not have helped because it would not have been administered in time to prevent the fatal pulmonary embolus.