[pickledpepperRN]

Medical staff sued for inmate's death

4/5/2007 1:00 PM
By Marilyn Tennissen

The wife of an inmate who died in a Jefferson County correctional facility has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the prison's medical staff and the hospital that treated him.

… Brown became dizzy and collapsed in the shower at the prison. According to witnesses, one side of his face drooped and half of his body "went dead." Prison personnel suspected a stroke, and Brown was transported to Memorial Hermann.

While at Memorial, Brown was seen by Mallett, Francesca Day R.N. and Karen Groff R.N. After performing a CT Scan, Dr. Steven Cherawaty at Memorial Hermann found the test results normal. Dr. Mallett made a diagnosis of depression, and Brown was released to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on April 13.

"Yet at the time of his release from the hospital,Taylor Brown could not talk and was unable to stand or walk," the petition says….

… According to the petition, Brown returned to the prison he was placed in solitary confirenment after "transporting prison guards felt that Taylor Brown was being noncompliant."

When unable to walk to the cell door to have his handcuffs removed, "he was pepper sprayed by the guards."

Two nurses at the prison, Linda Buckalew LVN and Janet King R.N. examined Brown and pronounced him physically able to comply with the guards' requests….

http://www.setexasrecord.com/news/19...-inmates-death

[GingerSue]

unable to walk so they pepper spray him

brown fluid from his head

[Gromit]

I can certainly understand their desire to sue. This had stroke written all over it -classic -right out of the book, no less!
I certainly don't feel the need to come to their defense. I don't care WHAT the patient did or was, when they are my patient, they get care to the best of my ability. I've had patients that were child molesters and rapists -and I considder these to be the lowest form of life there is. You still get proper care if I'm responsible for you. Whats described in this news page is beyond incompetence. Its criminal.

[Hopefull2009]

Originally Posted by Gromit

I can certainly understand their desire to sue. This had stroke written all over it -classic -right out of the book, no less!
I certainly don't feel the need to come to their defense. I don't care WHAT the patient did or was, when they are my patient, they get care to the best of my ability. I've had patients that were child molesters and rapists -and I considder these to be the lowest form of life there is. You still get proper care if I'm responsible for you. Whats described in this news page is beyond incompetence. Its criminal.

....unless we are assuming the doctor was competent.

If a surgeon can cut off a healthy foot when purpose of a surgery was to remove a diseased foot that had gangrene, I can believe anything.

[Gromit]

Can't argue with that -but I'm not sure I know what you're speaking about on the diseased foot bit -are you talking about the incident that happened in Tampa a few years back? If so, then you're a bit off the mark -the foot THAT surgeon cut off was not healthy -though it WAS the wrong foot. The diabetic in THAT case had already been told that he was going to have to lose both -but he chose the other one to be lost first.

[GoldenLove]

Dangggg..! I absolutely agree that you are taught to treat everyone who is in your care to the very best of your ability no matter who or what they are. This is sad...very sad.

[pickledpepperRN]

Medical care at TYC falls short

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...l.38a2adc.html

[BULLYDAWGRN]

Playing Devils Advocate, just because the pt was a inmate people are assuming they miss dx'd this guy on purpose... Or they did a lack luster job of trying to help this fella.. Hey we get prisoners and convicts to our hospital a few times a month and at a part time job I have we get them what seems like daily. Now I believe the places I work at are staff by folks who are all pretty much the same as far as their desire to do a good job as anyother place. We all try to tx them just the same as a civillian because lord knows if a convict feels like you are not supplying the high quality of care that they are entitled to, believe me they will anounce it to the world "you're mistreating me cause I'm in jail.. I'll sue you and this place"..How can I say that? Cause I've seen it, and I'd tend to believe you've seen it to. Now based on the info I've seen on this thread and what I've read off the Net, maybe they should've admitted him or put him in observation room, don't know not privy to neuro checks, or actual c-t results. And maybe the staff was negligent, but I just don't think that cause the pt was a prisoner.

[Sabby_NC]

I FEEL they treated this prisoner poorly. Sounds like a text book CVA to me. I think that mistakes were made all the way around by the sounds of it.
This man was not treated in a manner I would expect of someone that was obviously in dire straights.

[coolvibesRN]

Did the doctor wonder why the pt. couldn't walk. Why no additional tests before sending him back? Pepper spray if he can't walk? Ridiculous
Couldn't they tell the guy had a stroke even by physical assesment?