Missed infection

Undiagnosed sepsis brings

 wrongful-death lawsuit

By David Baker
Posted June 11, 2014
179 words

A physician and a nurse practitioner who allegedly failed to diagnose sepsis caused by a perforated intestine are named in a lawsuit filed by the widower of a Rensselaer County woman who died in St. Peter’s Hospital in 2012.

According to the suit, after Donna Giddings underwent abdominal surgery at St. Peter’s and was discharged, she began suffering nausea, lower abdominal pain and lethargy. She was brought back to St. Peter’s Hospital where, during another surgery it was discovered that she had a perforation in the lower intestine, colon and rectum, and that content of the rectum had moved in the abdominal area causing sepsis.

Giddings’ condition continued to deteriorate and five days later she died of the infection and multi-system organ failure, according to papers filed in the case.

The suit names Timothy McElrath, M.D., nurse practitioner Lisa Aremao, Woman’s Cancer Care Associates and St. Peter’s Hospital. It was filed by the law firm Anderson, Moschetti & Taffany of Latham NY.

The defendants are represented by Thorn, Gershon, Tymann & Bonanni, and Thuillez, Ford, Gold, Butler & Monroe.

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