Multi-million-dollar recovery – delay in diagnosing endocarditis

Endocarditis is an inflammation and infection around the chambers of the heart or the heart
valves which can be a life-threatening condition if not detected and treated promptly.
In this case, our client in the past had undergone reconstruction of the aortic root and
replacement of an aortic valve. A few years after that surgery, he reported to the hospital
multiple times over a three-month period with various cardiac complaints such as chest pain,
fatigue, shortness of breath, and lab work suggestive of infection. His EKG had some
abnormalities and, most importantly, a CT scan showed a pseudoaneurysm and inflammation in
the area of the previously repaired aortic arch. A pseudoaneurysm is a collection of blood that
leaks outside a vessel and then gets trapped in nearby tissue.

As in all medical cases, we retained medical experts to review the records, and they indicated
that the persistence of these complaints, and particularly the CT findings, should have suggested
that there was some infection in the area where the aortic arch had previously been repaired.
Prompt surgery would have been required to confirm and eradicate the infection. Unfortunately,
the doctors at a local Pittsburgh hospital did not suspect a cardiac infection, and the patient over
a period of several days deteriorated further. Finally, after nearly two weeks in the hospital, he
was taken for surgery, but by that point he was in cardiogenic shock and a massive infection was
discovered around the aorta and an adjacent valve. Tragically, it was too late to save the patient,
and he passed away later that day.

The doctors argued that the patient’s symptoms were rather vague and did not particularly
indicate the presence of a cardiac infection that required immediate surgery, but our experts
disagreed saying that there was obviously something going on at the location of the previous
heart surgery and infection was the most likely problem and prompt surgery was a must to avoid
death. The hospital and involved physician ultimately agreed to settle the claim.

Our client was still working as a legal professional and left behind a wife and two adult sons.
Our claim for damages included not only the loss of future earnings, but more importantly, the
loss of their relationship and companionship with their husband and father.