Anderson Hospital
A Madison County woman is seeking more than $1 million in a wrongful death complaint against doctors and Anderson Hospital.
Claudia Terry claims Billy Terry died on May 3 after experiencing respiratory failure at the hospital.
Doctors at the hospital failed to diagnose Terry's respiratory failure and failed to treat it in time, according to the complaint filed Feb. 25 in Madison County Circuit Court.
Before his death he suffered pain, mental anguish, disfigurement and incurred medical bills, the suit states.
Claudia Terry claims he also was prevented from attending to his usual affairs and duties.
She claims she has suffered the loss of his love, companionship, society, guidance and support, according to the lawsuit.
She has also incurred hospital, medical and funeral expenses, the suit states.
Anderson Hospital was negligent by failing to question the doses of fentanyl given combined with a morphine epidural, by failing to recognize the signs of inadequate respiratory function and by failing to promptly call for an anesthesiologist to evaluate impending respiratory failure, Claudia Terry alleges.
Dr. Mahmood Qalbani negligently failed to give appropriate direction to nurses who were administering narcotics and who were performing perioperative airway management in Billy Terry, failed to diagnose and correct premature extubation and failed to diagnose respiratory failure, according to the complaint.
Nurses Michael Southwick and Mark Silvey were negligent by failing to appreciate the effects of multiple significant IV doses of fentanyl combined with morphine epidural and by failing to limit the amount of fentanyl given intraoperatively, the suit states.
In addition, Claudia Terry claims Southwick was negligent by failing to provide adequate warning to the relief nurse about the doses of fentanyl given to Billy Terry.
Silvey also negligently failed to follow correct extubation parameters at emergence from anesthesia, failed to adequately monitor his patient and failed to tell the PACU nurse about the large does of fentanyl given to Billy Terry intraoperatively, according to the complaint.
In the 15-count suit, Claudia Terry is seeking a judgment of more than $1.125 million, plus costs.
Thomas Q. Keefe, Jr. of Belleville will be representing her.
Madison County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-0166.