The patient was admitted to the hospitalist. Broad spectrum antibiotics were started. The progress notes written by the patient’s doctors are shown below.
The following day, the patient was taken to the operating room.
Results were equivocal for necrotizing fasciitis. The fascia appeared intact but a small area of necrotic muscle was present. Cultures of the operative site grew Group A strep. The following progress note was documented the day after surgery.
The patient seemed to be improving at this point. However, the patient’s family members grew upset with the care that he was being given. They demanded transfer to a referral center in a neighboring city, which was arranged.
This lawsuit unfortunately does not include the medical record from the receiving hospital. He underwent an MRI scan and multiple further surgeries that confirmed the diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis. The patient survived but was left with damage to his left leg. He underwent skin grafting to the leg, and has permanent reduction of function and discoloration in the leg.
Continue to the next page to see the lawsuit that was filed and the plaintiff’s claims.
