Learning from Lawsuits

Here are some links mentioned in the podcast that may be helpful to listeners:   DNR vs AND: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allow_natural_death Excellent Webinar on POLST: https://www.wsma.org/wsma/education/on_demand_webinars/polst-and-your-practice-tools-to-improve-patient-conversations.aspx?_zs=vlUFd1&_zl=glgWA Serious Illness Conversation Guide: https://www.ariadnelabs.org/wp-content/upload...

This episode talks about the three different ways acute coronary syndrome can present and how to avoid missing unstable angina as a cause of chest pain.   Dr. Charles Piltcher and Katie Wyatt NP-C discuss takeaways that can keep each of us from making the same mistakes with our patients. 

A 33-year-old woman arrives at the emergency room struggling to breathe—her symptoms alarming, her condition urgent. What follows is a rapid series of events marked by uncertainty, communication gaps, and a critical moment that changes everything. In this episode of Learning from Lawsuits, we unpack a heartbreaking case involving abnormal electrolytes, unclear documentation, and a sudden cardiac a...

In this episode, we unpack the case of a 40-year-old woman who came to the Emergency Department with right upper quadrant abdominal pain—an atypical presentation that led her care team away from considering appendicitis. Without the “classic” symptoms, the diagnosis was missed, and she was discharged home—only to return two days later with a ruptured appendix. We explore how cognitive biases, atyp...

In this episode hosts Katie Wyatt NP-C and Charles Piltcher MD discuss a sad case of a patient who was taken to the ED by law enforcement for medical evaulation, and because of violence against the nuse and law enforcement officers, the patient was evicted to jail without medical exam. The patient had a cardiac arrest in the jail 30 minutes after arrival. Listen for the details and tips on how we...

This episode reviews a malpractice case where a psychiatric patient boarded in an ED for over 24 hours was restrained in a prone position, sedated, and left unmonitored, resulting in cardiac arrest and severe brain injury. We discuss failures in monitoring, documentation, restraint policies, and the broader problem of psychiatric boarding, plus lessons for clinicians to prevent similar outcomes. M...

Welcome to the Learning from Lawsuits podcast, where we review real medical malpractice lawsuit cases so healthcare providers can learn from them. In this episode a 62-year-old with WPW presents in atrial fibrillation; a nurse practitioner recognizes the case is beyond her scope and transfers care to the attending, documenting a detailed handoff. The patient later arrests after the NP’s shift but...

In this episode of Medical Manners, we share the story of a woman who came to the emergency department for abdominal pain. She was under the influence, declined care, and left—only to be found dead 12 hours later in a jail cell.   This case led to a lawsuit, but more importantly, it raises crucial questions about how we care for our most vulnerable patients. How do we balance compassion and clinic...

This episode reviews a medical malpractice case where a canceled CT angiogram and conflicting exam findings led to a delayed diagnosis of limb ischemia and eventual below-knee amputation. Hosts discuss clinical and legal lessons: confirm consultant findings yourself, escalate unresolved disagreements, document clinical reasoning, and empower patients to advocate for timely follow-up.

Three EMS units went to the wrong address for a cardiac arrest, causing a 12-minute delay. The patient’s heart was restarted, but severe and permanent brain damage left him disabled. The family won a jury verdict after years of litigation. Key takeaways: verify locations, use closed-loop communication, avoid cognitive biases, and remember that every minute counts—time is brain.

In this episode of "Learning from Lawsuits," we delve into a medical malpractice case involving a woman in her late 50s presenting with the worst headache of her life, intermittent vision loss, and confusion. Despite her alarming symptoms, she was discharged with a diagnosis of conversion disorder. Less than 24 hours later, she returned to the ER with an occipital stroke, leading to a lawsuit agai...

Welcome to the latest episode of the Learning from Lawsuits podcast, where hosts Katie Wyatt and Dr. Charles Pilcher delve into the intricate world of medical malpractice with a focus on real cases that offer valuable learning experiences for healthcare providers. In this episode, they discuss a peculiar case involving a failed urethral catheterization in a 47-year-old male patient with acute urin...

In this eye-opening episode of "Learning from Lawsuits," we dive into a complex case where a seemingly minor issue with a contact lens was misdiagnosed as a stroke or migraine, leading to a legal battle. Follow the journey of a woman whose persistent eye pain was misunderstood by multiple healthcare professionals, resulting in a drastic deterioration of her vision. Join us as we dissect the miscom...

In today's episode we discuss the story of a man who fell off a ladder, landed on his knee, and walked—or so he thought—into an ER for what seemed to be a straightforward injury. He was diagnosed with a muscle tear… but just three days later, he underwent an above-the-knee amputation. What went wrong? Could it have been prevented? And most importantly—how do we as clinicians, nurses, and providers...

It started with a simple ankle injury. A young man sought care for what seemed like a routine contusion, but his provider suspected cellulitis—and that’s where things took a disastrous turn. What followed was a cascade of missteps that ultimately led to a colectomy and a grueling seven-week hospital stay. Where did things go wrong? Could this outcome have been prevented? In this episode, we dissec...

Your clinical judgment doesn’t have to be perfect—but your documentation needs to be. When a lawsuit arises, your notes become your defense. If you didn’t document it, you didn’t think about it—at least in the eyes of the law. In this episode, we break down why thorough medical decision-making documentation is crucial, how it can mean the difference between a defensible case and a devastating laws...

A patient came in with back pain—something we see every day in healthcare. But this case was different. Despite multiple visits and misdiagnoses, the true cause remained hidden until it was too late. By the time her spinal epidural abscess was discovered, irreversible damage had been done, leaving her quadriplegic for life. In this episode, we dive deep into her story—what went wrong, the red flag...

In this episode of Medical Malpractice Insights: Learning from Lawsuits, we discuss the heartbreaking case of a 16-year-old male who died of lymphoblastic lymphoma just two days after being discharged from the emergency department. What warning signs were missed? What could have been done differently? We examine the key takeaways from this case to help healthcare providers recognize red flags, imp...

In this episode of Medical Malpractice Insights: Learning from Lawsuits, we examine the heartbreaking case of a patient who waited over two hours in an emergency department waiting room—only to be found unresponsive and eventually declared dead. We break down what went woefully wrong, the critical failures in triage and patient monitoring, and how emergency departments can implement simple yet eff...