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Post-thyroidectomy neck hematoma allegedly not relieved in time at St. Mary’s

This complaint states as follows: The patient, a 38-year-old mother of two little girls, underwent a routine thyroidectomy. Post-operative bleeding in the neck — and a hematoma that chokes the airway and suffocates the patient — is a known complication of a thyroidectomy. While recovering in the hospital after the surgery, a rapidly expanding hematoma formed in the patient's neck. She became unable to breathe. Her husband yelled for the nurses to come. A nurse called a Code Blue. After several minutes of delay, a nurse called the on-call ENT surgeon. He instructed that the sutures on the patient's neck be cut, to allow the blood an escape route and relieve pressure on the patient's windpipe. The emergency department physician running the Code Blue refused to cut the sutures. By the time the ENT surgeon arrived, the patient had been without oxygen for several minutes and had suffered a profound brain injury. She never regained consciousness. She died a couple days later.

System
St. Mary’s Health Care System
Facility
St. Mary’s Health Care System
Providers involved
St. Mary’s Health Care System, Inc. / On-call ENT surgeon / Emergency department physician / Nurse
Pattern
Rapidly expanding post-thyroidectomy neck hematoma followed by delay in cutting sutures to relieve airway pressure
Harm
Profound brain injury and death

Overview

This page concerns a routine thyroidectomy followed by a rapidly expanding neck hematoma in the hospital, where an airway-threatening emergency allegedly was not relieved in time even after the on-call ENT surgeon instructed that the neck sutures be cut to release pressure on the windpipe.

Chronology

  1. The patient underwent a routine thyroidectomy and was recovering in the hospital after surgery.
  2. A rapidly expanding hematoma formed in her neck, she became unable to breathe, and her husband yelled for nurses to come.
  3. A nurse called a Code Blue and, after several minutes of delay, called the on-call ENT surgeon, who instructed that the sutures on the patient’s neck be cut to allow the blood an escape route and relieve pressure on her windpipe.
  4. The emergency department physician running the Code Blue refused to cut the sutures, and by the time the ENT surgeon arrived the patient had been without oxygen for several minutes, suffered a profound brain injury, never regained consciousness, and died a couple days later.

Alleged failures

  • Hospital staff allegedly delayed responding to a rapidly expanding post-thyroidectomy neck hematoma and airway emergency.
  • The emergency department physician running the Code Blue allegedly refused to cut the neck sutures despite the on-call ENT surgeon’s instruction.
  • The delay in relieving pressure on the patient’s windpipe allegedly caused prolonged oxygen deprivation, profound brain injury, and death.

Entities and tags

St. Mary’s Health Care System, Inc.ThyroidectomyCode BlueOn-call ENT surgeonEmergency department physicianWindpipeNeck hematomaPost-operative hematomaAirway emergencyCode Blue delayFailure to decompressENT surgeryEmergency medicineHospital nursingEmergency response

Questions this example answers

What does the St. Mary’s thyroidectomy hematoma delay allege?

This complaint states as follows: The patient, a 38-year-old mother of two little girls, underwent a routine thyroidectomy. Post-operative bleeding in the neck — and a hematoma that chokes the airway and suffocates the patient — is a known complication of a thyroidectomy. While recovering in the hospital after the surgery, a rapidly expanding hematoma formed in the patient's neck. She became unable to breathe. Her husband yelled for the nurses to come. A nurse called a Code Blue. After several minutes of delay, a nurse called the on-call ENT surgeon. He instructed that the sutures on the patient's neck be cut, to allow the blood an escape route and relieve pressure on the patient's windpipe. The emergency department physician running the Code Blue refused to cut the sutures. By the time the ENT surgeon arrived, the patient had been without oxygen for several minutes and had suffered a profound brain injury. She never regained consciousness. She died a couple days later.

Who is identified in this public case example?

This public case example identifies St. Mary’s Health Care System, Inc., On-call ENT surgeon, Emergency department physician, and Nurse. It also tags the source-supported entities St. Mary’s Health Care System, Inc., Thyroidectomy, Code Blue, On-call ENT surgeon, and Emergency department physician.

What alleged failures are summarized here?

Hospital staff allegedly delayed responding to a rapidly expanding post-thyroidectomy neck hematoma and airway emergency. The emergency department physician running the Code Blue allegedly refused to cut the neck sutures despite the on-call ENT surgeon’s instruction. The delay in relieving pressure on the patient’s windpipe allegedly caused prolonged oxygen deprivation, profound brain injury, and death.