Latest news with #medicalnegligence
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctors dismissed woman's common symptoms for months... until they discovered she had a deadly colon cancer
A Pennsylvania woman was diagnosed with deadly cancer after being dismissed by doctors. Rylie Toomey, 27, was in the midst of planning her wedding and training for a half marathon when she was struck with unbearable abdominal pain in October 2024. She rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed a CT scan and insisted she was just constipated before sending her home. Doctors told her the same thing when she returned every few months for testing, until she ended up in the emergency department screaming in pain this past April. She was also suffering from a fever. She said: 'In my head I was like, I think I'm going to die - that's how much pain I was in. 'I felt like I was being stabbed, and my belly was super bloated, too. It felt like I was just going to explode.' Toomey had suffered a perforated bowel, meaning there was a hole in her intestinal wall. During that hospital visit, another CT scan detected stage four colon cancer that had spread to her liver and lungs - and she became one of the thousands of young Americans who have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer despite living healthy lives. Toomey told 'When you hear, "You have cancer," you're just like, that can't be right. That can't be me because leading up to this, I was so healthy. 'To hear that I had colon cancer just didn't make sense, just because you feel like colon cancer is linked to unhealthy people or people who eat unhealthy or the elderly. 'I just was not expecting that at all.' The American Cancer Society estimates over 154,000 Americans will be stuck by colorectal cancer this year, including about 20,000 under 50. While this is roughly in line with two decades ago, the disease is rising sharply in younger groups. From 1999 to 2018, the rate of colorectal cancer in the under-50 population rose from 8.6 cases per 100,000 people to 13 cases per 100,000 people. Colorectal cancer diagnoses in 20- to 34-year-olds is set to increase by 90 percent between 2010 and 2030, and rates for teenagers have surged 500 percent since the early 2000s. Lifestyle factors like diet, lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle have all been blamed, though these causes fail to explain why physically fit people like Toomey have increasingly been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The latest evidence, published in April, also suggests childhood exposure to a toxin released by E. coli bacteria could increase the risk of colorectal cancer by triggering inflammation and altering the balance of the gut microbiome. Marijuana was also linked to colorectal cancer in a recent study, as it is thought to block tumor-suppressing cells. Toomey told that she regularly plays lacrosse, runs and cycles and sticks to a healthy diet. She also has no family history of colon cancer. About one in five colorectal cancer patients are diagnosed like Toomey, after a bowel-related emergency often caused by the tumor growing, recent research shows. Toomey is now receiving chemotherapy every two weeks and regular immunotherapy infusions, with eight treatments left. Treatment forced her to push back her wedding, which was supposed to take place last month, and schedule it for June 2026. She said: 'It's definitely something that keeps me going right now. It's kind of hard to stay positive in situations like this, but this is something that's bringing me joy and keeping me going.' Friends have set up a GoFundMe page for medical expenses. Toomey is also urging other young people with symptoms to get checked out immediately and push for answers, even if doctors are dismissive. She said: 'I just don't want anybody to ever go through something like this. I think this happened for a reason so I can help others.'
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Settlement of €1.9m for boy who suffered ‘severe personal injury' at Portlaoise hospital
A boy born in Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise who was allegedly delivered after a delayed Caesarean section amid rowing doctors and who suffered 'severe personal injury' has had a €1.9 million settlement in his favour approved by the High Court . The now 16-year-old was born on January 30th, 2009, at the hospital, which has been subject to investigation over patient safety. His mother sued the HSE on behalf of her son for breach of statutory duty – alleged medical negligence – to adequately provide medical services to her and her son in 2009 at the Co Laois hospital. It was submitted that she was due to give birth around January 25th, 2009, and had attended all of her antenatal appointments, culminating with a clinic at the hospital on January 29th, 2009, when no 'significant abnormal conditions in relation to the pregnancy were present'. READ MORE She was admitted to the hospital on January 30th, 2009, five days after her due date, but had 'slow and irregular' pain. A cardiotocography trace (CTG) was carried out and was found to be 'abnormal', as the unborn baby displayed 'frequent decelerations' in his heart rate. However, despite the abnormal readings, the CTG was discontinued. A second CTG was carried out at 8.45am the same morning that showed decelerations and abnormalities up to around 12.30pm. It was claimed that then a syntocinon treatment – an injection involving the drug oxytocin – was administered to augment labour. It was claimed that the readings from the CTG were not reproduced in a legible fashion and were difficult to interpret. A decision was made to deliver the boy by emergency Caesarean section and the boy was born at 1.36pm, allegedly 80 minutes after a decision to perform the Caesarean was made – 50 minutes outside the usual time frame. It was claimed the boy suffered 'extreme difficulties' with breathing, due to hypoxia, and that there was a delay in his resuscitation. In addition, an altercation between members of the hospital staff occurred during the attempts at resuscitation of the plaintiff, it was alleged. During a second attempt at intubation, a doctor was interrupted by an anaesthetic doctor without invitation who attempted to force an oxygen mask on the child, it was claimed. It was alleged that the anaesthetist 'brushed aside' the attending doctor and raised his voice, shouting 'for f*** sake just bag him'. The doctor was eventually able to drain meconium – a baby's first stool – from the child through suction, after which safe intubation was performed. The doctor, it was submitted, was 'considerably interrupted in his attempts to intubate and resuscitate the plaintiff by actions of the anaesthetist doctor'. In the aftermath of his birth, the plaintiff was noted as being in pain, jaundiced, vomiting with streaks of blood, having hypoxic metabolic acidosis, high blood pressure and in need of ventilation. The plaintiff spent 11 days in intensive care, and an MRI scan showed the plaintiff's kidney and brain had an infarct resulting in 'severe personal injuries', it was claimed. At the High Court on Tuesday Mr Justice Paul Coffey was told by John Healy SC, instructed by David O'Malley of Callan Tansey solicitors, for the plaintiff that a final settlement of €1.9 million for breaches of duty by the defendant, albeit without an admission of liability, could be recommended to the court for what he said was the boy's 'turbulent' introduction to the world. Mr Justice Coffey approved the settlement and addressed the boy, who was present in court, saying he was pleased to see him 'looking so well and I wish you all the best for the future'. Reacting to the settlement, solicitor David O'Malley, in a statement on behalf the family, said: 'The family welcomes the settlement and for the security it will provide.' He added: 'It truly is a second-tier maternity system outside of The Pale. 'The family echoes calls by advocate groups to urgently review maternity care in Ireland. One cannot think of a more important right than the right to breathe and be protected at birth.'
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Boy (16) who suffered 'severe' injury after alleged delay amid doctors' row receives €1.9m
A boy born in Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise who was allegedly delivered after a delayed Caesarean Section amid rowing doctors and who suffered "severe personal injury" has had a €1.9 million settlement in his favour approved by the High Court. Dillon Brennan (16) was born on January 30th, 2009, at the hospital, which has been subject to investigation over patient safety, to Corinna Brennan, who is also his carer at their Athy, Co Kildare, home. Advertisement Mrs Brennan sued the HSE on behalf of her son for breach of statutory duty - alleged medical negligence - to adequately provide medical services to Mrs Brennan and her son in 2009 at the Co Laois hospital. It was submitted that Mrs Brennan was due to give birth around January 25th, 2009, and had attended all of her antenatal appointments, culminating with a clinic at the hospital on January 29th, 2009, when no "significant abnormal conditions in relation to the pregnancy were present". Mrs Brennan was admitted to the hospital on January 30th, 2009, five days after her due date, but had "slow and irregular" pain. A cardiotocography trace (CTG) was carried out and was found to be "abnormal", as the unborn baby displayed "frequent decelerations" in his heart rate. However, despite the abnormal readings, the CTG was discontinued. Advertisement A second CTG was carried out at 8.45am the same morning that showed decelerations and abnormalities up to around 12.30pm. It was claimed that then a syntocinon treatment - an injection involving the drug Oxycontin - was administered to augment labour. It was claimed that the readings from the CTG were not reproduced in a legible fashion and were difficult to interpret. A decision was made to deliver Dillon by emergency Caesarean Section, and Dillon was born at 1:36pm, allegedly 80 minutes after a decision to perform the Caesarean was made - 50 minutes outside the usual timeframe. Advertisement It was claimed that Dillon then suffered "extreme difficulties" with breathing, due to hypoxia, and that there was a delay in his resuscitation. In addition, an altercation between members of the hospital staff occurred during the attempts at resuscitation of the plaintiff, it was alleged. During a second attempt at intubation, a doctor was interrupted by an anaesthetic doctor without invitation who attempted to force an oxygen mask on the child, it was claimed. It was alleged that the anaesthetist "brushed aside" the attending doctor and raised his voice, shouting "for f**k sake just bag him". The doctor was eventually able to drain meconium - a baby's first stool - from the child through suction, after which safe intubation was performed. Advertisement The doctor, it was submitted, was "considerably interrupted in his attempts to intubate and resuscitate the plaintiff by actions of the anaesthetist doctor". In the aftermath of his birth, the plaintiff was noted as being in pain, jaundiced, vomiting with streaks of blood, having hypoxic metabolic acidosis, high blood pressure and in need of ventilation. The plaintiff spent 11 days in intensive care, and an MRI scan showed the plaintiff's kidney and brain had an infarct resulting in "severe personal injuries", it was claimed. At the High Court on Tuesday, Mr Justice Paul Coffey was told by John Healy SC, instructed by David O'Malley of Callan Tansey solicitors, for the plaintiff that a final settlement of €1.9 million for breaches of duty by the defendant, albeit without an admission of liability, could be recommended to the court for what he said was Mr Brennan's "turbulent" introduction to the world. Advertisement Mr Justice Coffey approved the settlement and addressed Mr Brennan, who was present in court, saying he was pleased to see Mr Brennan "looking so well and I wish you all the best for the future". Reacting to the settlement, solicitor David O'Malley, in a statement on behalf the family, said that the family welcome it and "the security it will provide Dillon. "They would like to acknowledge the efforts of the State Claims Agency and their legal representatives in facilitating mediation to resolve this case. The purpose of civil society is to prevent similar events reoccurring. "The family questioned the birth, having witnessed the Portlaoise maternity enquiry and the aftermath in 2012. "Unfortunately, the same avoidable failings, namely delayed delivery, inadequate CTG (cardiotocography) tracing and misuse of Oxytocin, still remain as main causes of hypoxia in Irish infants in 2025. "Also, in the year 2025 there are no cooling units to counteract hypoxia in infants outside of Cork and Dublin. "It truly is a second-tier maternity system outside of The Pale. "The family echoes calls by advocate groups to urgently review maternity care in Ireland. One cannot think of a more important right than the right to breathe and be protected at birth," said Mr O'Malley.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Bristol doctor Tony Dixon falsified mesh notes, medical hearing finds
A surgeon found to have left patients in agony after using artificial mesh to treat prolapsed bowels has been found to have falsified medical Dixon was suspended after the surgery was found to have caused harm to hundreds of patients at two hospitals in a new hearing has examined Dr Dixon's records and found he dishonestly created patient records long after he was involved in their mesh patient Jill Smith, from Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol, said Mr Dixon "should never work again". Mr Dixon said he "has very many satisfied patients but respects the findings of the tribunal". He also apologises to those he may have let down. A spokesperson for Mr Dixon added: "Mr Dixon has disputed the allegations throughout the tribunal hearing and is disappointed by the factual determination."Mr Dixon has always endeavoured to provide the highest standard of care to his patients." Mrs Smith, 71, has received a settlement from Mr Dixon after paying privately to have a fisher operation but she claims she ended up having three meshes implanted without her consent which left her in severe pain and suffering from breakdowns. She told the BBC that her own experience meant she was not surprised the tribunal had found dishonesty, adding: "It's just he is saying one thing and writing something else and you just feel a bit strange about it all, that it's corrupt and lying."It makes people feel, me as well, disappointed, disillusioned."Two investigations at Southmead Hospital and Spire Bristol have previously found Mr Dixon caused harm to hundreds of people by carrying out operations that were not has since said private hospitals now can access patient notes without having to rely on copies from consultants. The tribunal had examined claims medical records for seven patients contained false information and were not created at the correct found that as part of a Spire review, Mr Dixon disclosed medical records for several patients that were created after his involvement in their care. It found his actions would have given the false impression that the Spire records were also found patient records disclosed to the solicitors of four patients who were suing him contained false Dixon was also found to have failed to adequately explain the complications of a re-look laparotomy in 2017.A final decision over what sanctions will be taken against Mr Dixon is expected this summer. Dr Dixon had previously built up an international reputation as the go-to expert for patients with prolapsed used a technique known as mesh rectopexy to treat bowel the procedure, mesh implants are placed into the body to treat pelvic organ prolapse which can occur after mesh, which is usually made from synthetic polypropylene, is intended to repair damaged or weakened the point of his suspension in 2024, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) said Dr Dixon's "misconduct was so serious that action needed be taken to protect members of the public".But, the tribunal considered that a longer period of suspension would be unduly punitive, especially taking into account the period that Dr Dixon had already been the subject of fitness to practise Southmead Hospital and Spire Bristol apologised to victims after his suspension.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'I'm gonna die': Inmate described sharp pain before 'gruesome' jail death, lawsuit says
The family of a Colorado man whose final minutes saw him cry for help as he was throwing up blood in a southwestern Colorado jail filed suit against the county and the jail's medical provider on July 21. The estate of Daniel Foard called the 32-year-old's 2023 death at the La Plata County Jail "gruesome and entirely preventable" in a complaint filed in the United States District Court for Colorado. "The final 15-plus hours of his life were dominated by terrible pain and suffering, including his expressed and doubtlessly terrifying consciousness of his impending death," the complaint reads. Jail cell video obtained by USA TODAY shows Foard throwing up coffee-ground like vomit and begging officers for medical attention. Foard died from acute peritonitis due to a perforated duodenal ulcer, according to the complaint. "We spend a lot of time thinking about deliberate indifference and it's a really, really hard concept to explain," Dan Weiss, one of the estate's lawyers told USA TODAY in an interview ahead of the filing. "This case right here is one of the clearest illustrations of that concept we have ever seen." The lawsuit names La Plata County, the county's Sherriff Sean Smith, the jail's medical provider Southern Health Partners, and eight nurses and jail employees as defendants. Ted Holteen, a spokesperson for La Plata County, told USA TODAY in a statement the "county has not analyzed the allegations made in the complaint" and that it does not comment on pending litigation. USA TODAY reached out to the sheriff and Southern Health Providers ahead of the filing and did not receive a response. "Our pain of loss is immeasurable, but we know that the path forward must lead to healing, to resolution, to something that allows us to take a deep breath and feel a sense of closure," Jim Foard and Susan Gizinski, Daniel's parents, said in a statement provided to USA TODAY. "Without any accountability for what happened to our son, there can be no closure." Boulder jail death: Colorado family sues after man dies from infection in jail in his 'blood and vomit' August 2023: Daniel Foard enters La Plata County jail Foard was booked into La Plata County jail on August 11, 2023. He was being held on warrants for failure to appear, a jail supervisor told the Durango Herald at the time of Foard's death and the estate's lawyers confirmed in the interview. Foard told nurses at the jail that he regularly took fentanyl pills during the intake process and was placed in the jail's detoxification program. During his time in the program, he had some vomiting and diarrhea that soon went away. But an elevated heart rate, fast breathing and high blood pressure continued, according to the complaint. During a routine body scan around 9:45 p.m. on Aug. 15, 2023, before he was to be moved to general population housing, Foard collapsed to the floor multiple times, according to the complaint. The complaint alleges that a jail deputy mouthed to another that Foard was "faking." Denver police recruit recalls 'hazing': 'I'll never be the person that I was' Later that night, nurse Ashley Box concluded that Foard was stable and could be transferred to general population. He was moved to the jail's G block, according to the complaint. USA TODAY reached out to a publicly listed phone number for Box and did not receive a response. Deputies tasked with escorting Foard told Box that he was "really struggling." Box responded by asking, "what do you think?" The complaint alleges that Box did not go to see Foard or relay his condition to a doctor. "Box chose to rely on a medically untrained Deputy to tell her how her patient was doing, but then disregarded what she reported," the complaint reads. The next day: Foard's condition worsens The next morning, on Aug. 16, 2023, Foard fell into his cell door twice when he went to retrieve breakfast, according to the complaint. A deputy asked him to step out to be seen by the jail's medical personnel. "Over the course of the (previous) night, he vomited repeatedly and continually complained of stomach pain," the complaint reads. "He called deputies from the cell's call box several times, telling them that he was sick, his stomach was hurting, and that he wanted to be seen by medical." The complaint notes that the last time Foard's vital signs were taken was 3:27 a.m., around the time he was moved into general population. 'Don't hurt us!' Denver police 'terrorized' family when they raided wrong apartment: Lawsuit When he stepped out of the cell, he was only able to take a few steps before needing to sit on the ground because "he obviously could not safely ambulate, stand, or maintain balance," the complaint states. The lone registered nurse in the jail at the time, Sierra Snooks, responded the call for help. She charted that Foard reported an intense, "sharp" and "shooting" abdominal pain that was a "10" on a 1-10 scale, according to the complaint. Foard told her that the symptoms did not feel like those from withdrawal. Snooks told Foard that she was initially concerned about appendicitis, but that she had decided that the pain wasn't in the right place to be appendicitis, so they would "monitor" him in the jail's booking area. The complaint states that registered nurses are prohibited by licensure from diagnosing or ruling out appendicitis. It alleges the symptoms reported by Foard required Snooks to call a doctor, and that she did not. "Ten-out-of-10 sharp, shooting, and persisting abdominal pain is unquestionably a serious medical emergency. These symptoms mandate immediate provider involvement," the complaint reads. USA TODAY reached out to a publicly listed email for Snooks and did not receive a response. Foard was moved by Snooks to the jail's booking area for medical monitoring. The complaint alleges the medical monitoring never happened. "Snooks did not even communicate with any of the Deputies why Mr. Foard was being moved back to be monitored," the complaint reads. "The next time a nurse came to see him he was dead." Daniel Foard's final hours Foard was placed in Holding Cell 4 around 7 a.m. on Aug. 16 and continued vomiting through the day. By 6 p.m., Foard was moved to Holding Cell 5 due to vomit in the first cell. Snooks left the jail in a shift change around 6 p.m., with Box coming on duty. Foard was seen pouring the soup he had been served into cell's the toilet, drinking the mixture and regurgitating it immediately, according to the complaint. By 6:40 p.m. Foard was moved to Holding Cell 6, once again for vomit. He is seen on video crawling into the cell and falling to the floor. Foard continued to call for help, including cries of "vomiting blood" and "I'm in a lot of pain" that are heard on the cell video. He also yelled, "I'm gonna die," according to the complaint. A jail sergeant is heard on video telling Foard to hit the grate in the cell because they, "can't keep switching (him) out to clean." The sergeant later told Foard, "I don't know if you can comprehend what I'm saying…I can't just jump every time…if you keep yellin'. I hear you, but there's not a whole lot I can do." The complaint alleges that Box did "walk-bys" of Foard's cell but did not assess the inmate as he was crying for help. At approximately 9:49 p.m., Box banged on the door of Holding Cell 6 to no response. When deputies opened the door, they found Foard dead in a pool of his own bloody vomit, according to the complaint. The lawsuit says an autopsy found Foard had "a liter of cloudy brown fluid in his peritoneal cavity," stomach fluid in his respiratory system, and that his stomach contained dark brown fluid. Foard was found to have fentanyl still in his system, Mike Arnall, a forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy, told the Durango Herald at the time, but said that "the greater problem was a belly full of pus." "As the surgeon would say, that's a surgical problem with a surgical cure – meaning there's only one way you're going to cure that, and that's with surgery,' Arnall told the newspaper. Lawsuit points at jail's medical service provider Documents included in the filing show that Southern Health Partners was chosen by La Plata County after significantly underbidding its competitor. The lawsuit quotes a 2023 email from La Plata County Sheriff's Office Detentions Division Commander Ed Aber that reads: "I have done some informal cost comparisons with other service providers that meet medical needs in other Colorado Jails, and our contracted price is significantly lower." The lawsuit points to five instances of jail deaths where Southern Health Partners were responsible for staffing, calling the medical provider and the county's practices "unconstitutional." Anna Holland Edward, a lawyer for the family, said the cost-cutting provider is a symptom of a larger disregard for inmate medical services. "For-profit healthcare is bad and complicated in a lot of ways anyway," Holland Edward told USA TODAY in an interview ahead of the filing. "But for-profit healthcare where the consumer is not the patient, it just leads to this recklessness over and over again because the person paying is prepared to cut some corners." Foard's parents said they want to see changes in the way inmates are treated at La Plata County jail. "Just basic training in having compassion for others would be a great start. But adding more staff is critical too," their statement reads. "More medical staff and a physician on-site would be beneficial, along with proper training. If Deputies are going to continue being used to monitor sick inmates, they must be trained also." "These elementary steps would have saved our son's life," Foard's parents said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daniel Foard described sharp pain before Colorado jail death: Lawsuit
