New Hampshire, US – 17th April, 2019: A Moultonborough man has filed a medical malpractice suit claiming his 45-year-old wife died because health care providers allegedly failed to recognize that her complaints of a persistent cough and shortness of breath were symptoms of a blood clot in her lung.
The suit filed in Carroll County Superior Court on behalf of the estate of Kristen Lee Currier, names as defendants LRGHealthcare, Dr. Theodore Capron, Dr. Carolyn Crosby, Jeanne Prescott, APRN, Barbara Wood APRN and Laconia Clinic, P.C.
“It was the duty of the defendants to further evaluate all of Kristen Lee Currier’s symptoms, including shortness of breath, tachycardia, increased respirations and prolonged cough, including ordering additional testing, which would have revealed that Kristen was suffering from a thrombosis/blood clot and/or pulmonary embolism,” reads the suit filed by Attorney Joseph McDowell of Manchester, on behalf of James Currier, his late wife’s estate and the couple’s two minor children,
The Laconia Clinic denies all allegations of negligence or any breaches in the standard of care, through its Attorney Adam Pignatelli of Rath, Young and Pignatelli P.C., of Concord.
“Reasonable judgment was exercised in the selection of an accepted method of treatment from several options, all of which were within the standard of care,” wrote Attorney Elizabeth Ewing of Wadleigh, Starr & Peters of Manchester who represents the remaining defendants.
The suit makes claims for wrongful death and medical negligence and is also seeking damages for emotional distress.
According to the complaint, Currier went to Belknap Family Health Care Center in Meredith, on June 8, 2016 for her annual physical. She was examined by Jeanne Prescott ARPN, and it was recorded that she had no concerns. She was prescribed Trivora, a birth control pill, which she had previously taken.
On July 7, 2017, Currier made a same-day appointment at Belknap Family Health reporting a cough that had persisted after a cold that had been ongoing for about three weeks. She was seen by Dr. Crosby, who the suit says diagnosed her with a cough.
On July 18, 2016, she called the health center against to report her coughing and breathing were worse. That same day she was seen by Dr. Capron, who noted that her cough continued despite having used inhaled and nebulized steroids and Singulair, an anti-inflammatory used to treat allergies and prevent asthma attacks, prescribed by Dr. Crosby.
Dr. Capron allegedly recorded that Currier met the criteria for a chronic cough. He noted her symptoms suggested asthma, but that she had not responded well to reasonably aggressive asthma treatment. He prescribed Prilosec for heartburn. He ordered a chest x-ray and pulmonary function tests.
The x-ray was done on July 20, and the suit claims it was interpreted as normal. The next day, James Currier called Belknap Family Health and reported Kristen was having a hard time catching her breath and her coughing was worse. The suit alleges he advised them he did not want to take her home in that condition and wanted a plan to help her.
That same day, Mrs. Currier went to the Laconia Clinic and was seen by Barbara Wood APRN. The suit asserts that Wood diagnosed Currier with cough/bronchospasm and a medication to treat airway narrowing, cough medicine plus a steroid, were prescribed along with instructions to rest and stay well-hydrated.
On July 25, 2016, Currier went to a previously scheduled appointment with Jeanne Prescott APRN, who recommended that the steroid be continued and added another breathing medication to reduce airway inflammation.
The next morning, Currier had severe chest pain, was short of breath and lost consciousness multiple times. Her husband called 911 and she was taken by ambulance to Lakes Region General Hospital, where resuscitation efforts continued. She was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m. The state’s chief medical examiner ruled her cause of death was pulmonary thromboembolism.
Source: https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/moultonborough-man-sues-hospital-over--year-old-wife-s/article_3f0bea77-4416-545d-a4f0-7592bdc5e508.html