St. Elizabeth's
St. Louis University
Clarence Orschell filed a medical malpractice complaint on behalf of his wife Janet who died two years ago due to complications involving hypovolemic shock.
Represented by Rex Carr, Orschell is seeking in excess of $200,000 from Vascular and Hand Surgery, Ltd., St. Louis University, St. Elizabeth's Hospital and Dr. Roland Mawis claiming they deviated from standards of medical care.
According to the suit filed Nov. 20 in St. Clair County Circuit Court, Janet Orschell was a patient at St. Elizabeth's on Nov. 21, 2005, under the care of Finlay and Vascular and Hand Surgery, Ltd.
The complaint states that the defendants failed to timely order a type and cross match of packed blood cells, failed to recognize hypovolemic shock and treat appropriately and failed to return Janet Orschell to surgery to repair bleeding in a timely manner.
"That as a direct and proximate result of one or more of the foregoing deviations from the standard of care, decedent came to her death on November 23, 2005," the complaint states.
St. Louis University is named as a defendant through its family practice residency program located at St. Elizabeth's Hospital.
Orschell claims the residency program's employees failed to order a timely hemoglobin and hematocrit following Janet Orschell's collapse and hypotension on Nov. 22, 2005, failed to contact Dr. Finlay in a timely manner and failed to advocate regarding timely surgery for retroperitoneal hemorrhage.
The complaint states that Dr. Mawis failed to order a complete blood count in a timely manner at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 22, 2005, and failed to contact a surgeon for the appropriate care and treatment of Janet Orschell in a timely manner.