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Tag: Cardiology Malpractice

Lorazepam, Oxycodone, Informed Consent, and Chris Cornell

Posted on by Burton Bentley II, M.D FAAEM

Singer Chris Cornell’s widow filed a medical malpractice suit against his cardiologist alleging negligent prescription of dangerous controlled substances which led to Cornell’s suicide. The complaint describes the cardiologist prescribing Cornell more than 940 doses of the anti-anxiety drug Lorazepam (Ativan) between 2015 and his death in 2017. The lawsuit claims the cardiologist was also prescribing Cornell Oxycodone at the same time without conducting a medical examination of the singer, lab studies or clinical assessments.  The suit also claims the cardiologist knew Cornell was an “addiction-prone individual” but allowed unsupervised staff to write many of his prescriptions. 

Mrs. Cornell is suing for negligence and failure to obtain informed consent because the cardiologist did not warn the singer about the side effects of Lorazepam. Documented side effects include damage to rational thinking and an increased risk of suicide in addiction-prone patients. Mrs. Cornell saw her husband’s behavior deteriorate and his level of impairment increase while on the prescribed drugs.

When a physician breaches a duty to a patient, the patient may argue a cause of action for negligence.  Nolo.com explains how failure to warn a patient of known risks may lead to malpractice.

Doctors have a duty to warn patients of known risks of a procedure or course of treatment — this is known as the duty of informed consent. If a patient, once properly informed of possible risks, would have elected not to go through with the procedure, the doctor may be liable for medical malpractice if the patient is injured by the procedure (in a way that the doctor should have warned could happen).

An injured party suing a doctor for negligence and failure to obtain informed consent must hire a medical expert to analyze the facts of the case and present an unbiased opinion to the court. Not only are medical malpractice laws complicated, but regulations vary by jurisdiction. Challenging assignments require an experienced board-certified medical expert witness from a top university medical center. To secure a hand-selected cardiology expert witness, please contact Elite Medical Experts and speak with a physician or nurse on Elite’s Case Strategy Team today.

Did The Interventional Cardiologist Cause Medical Harm?

Posted on by Burton Bentley II, M.D FAAEM

An interventional cardiologist has specialized training in order to diagnose and treat coronary artery disease. These medical specialists use catheterization and other procedures to clear blocked arteries, correct congenital heart abnormalities and repair heart valves. Procedures include:

Cardiac catheterization – used to determine the severity and extent of cardiovascular problems

Coronary angioplasty – used to open arteries that have been narrowed by atherosclerosis

Percutaneous valve repair –  repairs the valve without removing the old, damaged valve

Balloon valvuloplasty – widens a heart valve that is narrowed

Atherectomy – removing atherosclerosis from blood vessels within the body

When an IC doctor is charged with a medical negligence claim, an interventional cardiology expert witness is often required to address causation. Dr. Burton Bentley writes:

In additional to opining on standard of care, causation arguments may arise when an interventional cardiologist is alleged to have acted negligently. In other words, did the alleged malpractice result in harm? Interventional cardiology experts also evaluate causation when a patient suffers a deprivation of care by not being referred to an interventional cardiologist in a timely manner. For example, allegations may arise when a primary care provider fails to refer a patient with chest pain, or when an emergency medicine specialist delays admission to the cardiac catheterization lab. Such situations mandate meticulous analysis, and only a credible and independent interventional cardiology expert witness can connect the dots.

Since interventional cardiology experts are also cardiologists, IC experts are also called upon to determine the existence, nature, extent, and prognosis of cardiac harm. For example, when a patient suffers a myocardial infarction (i.e. heart attack), what is the extent of the injury and how will it impact the patient’s health? Investigating the status and degree of cardiac harm is an essential strategic element is many cases…

In a cardiac negligence case, a skilled and impartial interventional cardiology expert witness will be key in your case’s success.

Cardiology Medical Malpractice

Posted on by Burton Bentley II, M.D FAAEM

Cardiologist Dr. Arvind Gandhi and his associates at Cardiology Associates of Northwest Indiana, P.C., are under investigation for allegedly performing unnecessary surgeries. Over 300 patients have accused the medical practice of implanting pacemakers, defibrillators, and stents they didn’t need. Plaintiff attorney David Cutshaw had a doctor review 12 defibrillators implanted by Gandhi. Seven of the procedures were found to have been medically unnecessary.  The cardiology group is facing charges of medical malpractice, violations of the False Claims Act, and Medicare fraud.

In December 2015, a Lake Superior Court jury awarded Shannon Greer $450K in the wrongful death lawsuit against Ghandi. Her late husband died after the doctor treated him for an infected pacemaker. In the hospital, Gandhi took out the device, washed it off with antibiotics and reinserted it. Two weeks later, Greer returned to the hospital to have the pacemaker removed because it was still infected. Returning home, the 65 year old patient collapsed and later died in the ER.

The American Heart Association states:

Complete removal of all hardware, regardless of location (subcutaneous, transvenous, or epicardial), is the recommended treatment for patients with established CIED (cardiovascular implantable electronic device) infection. This includes cases in which a localized pocket infection occurs in the absence of signs of systemic infection. Complete removal of hardware is needed because infection relapse rates due to retained hardware are high. Erosion of any part of the CIED should imply contamination of the entire system, including the intravascular portion of leads, and complete device removal should be performed.

Cardiologists and hospitals are under scrutiny by regulators for performing unnecessary medical procedures. The Indiana Lawyer reports that Cardiology Associates of Northwest Indiana “routinely performed unneeded procedures, sometimes scheduling patients for invasive procedures such as angiograms every six months.” Medical malpractice litigation against a cardiologist may involve improper or delayed treatment of coronary artery disease.  Cardiology expert witnesses are qualified to assess the standard of care provided by a cardiologist or hospital charged with performing unnecessary surgeries. These experts are trained to be an invaluable part of the discovery team and present medical records to the court with full transparency.

Contact ELITE today to find a cardiology expert witness for your medical malpractice case.