A 68-year-old woman was admitted to Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin after experiencing headaches for two weeks. Family members indicated that, on that day, she couldn't stop tapping her fingers, she stared into space, and she had difficulty speaking. A neurologist misdiagnosed the condition as ischemia, or stroke, and a radiologist incorrectly read an MRI of her brain as evidencing a stroke. The patient remained in the hospital for five days, was released, then returned two days later with breathing difficulties. The delay in diagnosing a viral infection resulted in permanent brain damage. She had developed HSE, or herpes simplex encephalitis, which is caused by the same virus that triggers common cold sores. A timely test for the virus was not performed, nor was the antiviral medication Acyclovir appropriately administered. The woman was left with no memory and is unable to care for herself.
$6.75 Million
J. v. Patrick Para, et al.
