Malpractice Suit Filed Against Mayo Clinic Over Brain Injury

Malpractice Suit Filed Against Mayo Clinic Over Brain Injury

Introduction

A lawsuit filed this month in Olmsted County District Court claims that Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys medical personnel inadvertently overdosed a patient with an opiate, causing a brain injury.

The plaintiff from Shoreview, Minnesota, claims that in January 2021, he was a patient at Mayo Clinic suffering from shortness of breath, alcohol withdrawal disorder, and abnormally low sodium levels in his blood. During his hospitalization, he received an overdose of the opiate lorazepam, resulting in a brain injury. Mayo Clinic denied that the hospital caused his injuries or that he was given an opiate overdose.

According to the Mayo Clinic Communications Manager, patient care is a top priority at the clinic, and the clinic takes these responsibilities seriously. The claims in this situation are being investigated by officials. A request for comment from the plaintiff's attorney was not returned.

The plaintiff claims that multiple Mayo Clinic employees were negligent in their treatment of him and deviated from the standard medical care provided by medical professionals in similar circumstances.

The plaintiff arrived at Mayo Clinic on January 8, 2021, suffering from a variety of ailments but with otherwise normal vital signs, according to the court filing. Mayo staff became concerned about electrolyte derangement caused by his alcohol withdrawal about two hours after he arrived.

The plaintiff claims that the next morning he was given multiple doses of lorazepam to help him cope with the agitation caused by his alcohol withdrawal.

Lorazepam is a medication used to treat anxiety disorders. It is also used to provide short-term relief from anxiety symptoms or anxiety caused by depression. Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine that works in the brain to alleviate anxiety symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, benzodiazepines are central nervous system (CNS) depressants, which are medications that slow down the nervous system.

According to his court filing, following the administration of lorazepam, the plaintiff collapsed and suffered respiratory failure, necessitating a series of medical interventions such as the placement of a stomach tube, prolonged sedation, and a tracheostomy, a hole cut into the windpipe to allow a tube to be inserted to assist in breathing.

In his filing, he claims that multiple Mayo employees wrote in his medical records that his injuries, including his brain injury, were the cause of an unintentional lorazepam or benzodiazepine overdose as a result of his alcohol withdrawal.

Plaintiff's injuries are permanent and severe, and he is unlikely to regain any function lost as a result of his injuries, according to a portion of the court filing. He claims that he needed help from others after being discharged from Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic has denied that the plaintiff received an overdose of medication while a patient there.

According to a portion of the Mayo Clinic's court filing, the care provided by plaintiff's Mayo-employed providers was reasonable and appropriate, complied with accepted standards of care in all respects, and was not the cause of plaintiff's alleged injuries.

The plaintiff is seeking a monetary award in excess of $50,000, as well as court costs. The Mayo Clinic wants a jury trial, but the court should dismiss the case and award the hospital court costs instead.