St. Elizabeth's, doctors named in med mal suit

The wife of a deceased man blames doctors at St. Elizabeth's Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, HSHS Medical Group and Hospital Sisters Health System for causing the man's death after giving him anesthesia.

Patricia Brandmeyer filed a lawsuit March 24 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against the three medical corporations, Dr. Sally B. Portera, Erica Perez and Laura Wong.

Patricia Brandmeyer claims her husband, Ralph H. Brandmeyer, was a patient at St. Elizabeth's Hospital on Oct. 22, 2008, where doctors gave him anesthesia. However, because of the defendants' alleged deviations from the standard of care, Ralph H. Brandmeyer suffered severe pain, mental anguish and disability before his death on Oct. 24, 2008.

Because of Ralph H. Brandmeyer's death, his wife and eight children suffered the loss of his love, support, companionship, affection and society, according to the complaint.

The defendants negligently failed to provide an adequate pre-anesthesia plan of care for Ralph H. Brandmeyer; failed to employ appropriate measures to monitor hemodynamic parameters; provided inadequate intravenous access; provided inadequate supervision, guidance and direction for student anesthesiologists; failed to provide a further cardiac consultation prior to the initiation of anesthesia; failed to provide potential efforts to maintain intravascular volume through the perioperative period; and failed to appreciate blood loss in a timely manner, according to the complaint. In addition, the defendants failed to provide adequate blood replacement in a timely manner, provided inappropriate fluid replacement throughout the perioperative period, failed to respond to persistent hypotension throughout the perioperative period, failed to appreciate overt signs of myocardial insult and ischemia in a timely manner, failed to employ appropriate treatment for marked anemia and failed to correct the underlying cause of Ralph H. Brandmeyer's persistent hypotension, the suit states.

In the two-count complaint, Patricia Brandmeyer seeks a judgment of more than $100,000, plus costs.

Rex Carr of The Rex Carr Law Firm in East St. Louis will be representing her.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 10-L-140.