Health Law

Family Says Their Mother Died From E Coli

By Marler Clark LLP

Deaths of elderly people suffering from other illnesses that are ultimately struck down by E. coli or Salmonella often end up with a confused death certificate being issued.   We saw that during the recent Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak when the two men who died were recovering from un-related diseases when what they ate proved fatal.    Remember the first victim who was out celebrating his recovery from cancer when he was struck down by eating contaminated tomatoes or peppers?

That's why a case in Nebraska that is making news is significant.   The Omaha World Herald reports on what is going on this way:

A Bellevue woman and her husband say her mother's death should warn hospitals and doctors that bloody diarrhea can be a sign of deadly E. coli.

Ruby Trautz died in August 2006 during a large, nationwide E. coli outbreak involving tainted spinach.

Her daughter and son-in-law, Polly and Ken Costello, have sued Creighton University Medical Center, Creighton University and Creighton physicians, saying they misdiagnosed Trautz's case.

Although the suit calls for financial damages, the Costellos say what they really want is for Creighton to establish a protocol in which a patient showing bloody diarrhea automatically is tested for E. coli.

Check out the rest of the story here.

Full post as published by e.Coli Blog on December 05, 2008 (boomark / email).