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NYC Woman Loses Hands, Feet In Hospital 'Mistake'
WCBS TV (Via Drudge) ^ | Nov. 21, 2008 | John Slattery

Posted on 11/21/2008 4:27:58 PM PST by Michael.SF.

NEW YORK (CBS) ― She was a vibrant young mother who went to a Brooklyn hospital for what she thought was a kidney stone. She wound up leaving without her hands and feet because of what her lawyers call a "medical mistake."

Now, Tabitha Mullings is suing.

The 32-year-old suffered an infection and ended up a quadriplegic with impaired vision.

"Because of this hospital, this emergency room, with back pain and side pain, and she leaves here on a stretcher with no hands and feet and legally blind," said Sanford Rubenstein, Mullings' attorney.

It was on Sept. 14 when Mullings came to the hospital suffering from abdominal pain, and had a kidney stone, and a condition with a known propensity for infection.

But Mullings' lawyers say there was no blood test. She was sent home, and when her fiancé brought her back the next day, an infection was raging. It choked off the blood flow to her extremities. After gangrene set in, her hands turned black, her feet turned black, all four limbs had to be amputated.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: baddoctors; horriblehospital; medicalmalpractice; suebabysue
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To: cva66snipe

Oh No!

My Beloved husband is on Paxil, maximum dosage, for Parkinson’s depression, and has a history of kidney stones, and kidney damage from “aldosteronism” undiagnosed, but now treated with Spirinolactone.

Is this something else I have to worry about? I am so depressed, because I am his only care-giver. There are days when I feel overwhelmed.


81 posted on 11/21/2008 9:05:27 PM PST by jacquej
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To: cajungirl
Blood test would have been a blood culture,,no resuts would have been back in 24 hrs whether they did it or not. She was septic the next day.

True. My dh developed MRSA the week after he had been in the hospital for a heart attack and subsequent angioplasty and stent implant to fix the blockage. When he developed a raging fever a few days after came home from the hospital stay for the heart attack, I brought him to the ER, and they did a blood culture. It took 48 hours before they got the results.

82 posted on 11/21/2008 9:13:52 PM PST by RedWhiteBlue
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To: jacquej

No don’t take him off. I am a Vestibular Patient. That means hearing and sensrory processing damage. That is why I can’t take it. The reason my wife can’t is simuliar. She has extreme neurological issues. If he’s been on it a while he’s likely fine. The time you have to watch is during the first month or so as it builds up in the blood stream. Please be very very carefull with over the counter medications like antihistamines though with him. Call the doctor first and let him prescribe something safe to go with the Paxil. If not then that can trigger it.


83 posted on 11/21/2008 10:03:57 PM PST by cva66snipe ($.01 The current difference between the DEM's and GOP as well as their combined worth to this nation)
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To: therut
What kind of infection? I am a physician and have never heard of such a case.

Glad to hear my suspicions confirmed. This case did not smell right from the get go and, as others have pointed out, more info is needed.

84 posted on 11/21/2008 11:34:46 PM PST by Michael.SF. ("They're not Americans. They're liberals! "-- Ann Coulter, May 15, 2008)
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To: ApplegateRanch
LOL

So much for trying to be polite.

To be honest, I thought I was going to be ripped a new one for even questioning this case.

85 posted on 11/21/2008 11:36:43 PM PST by Michael.SF. ("They're not Americans. They're liberals! "-- Ann Coulter, May 15, 2008)
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To: cva66snipe

We are very careful about any “over-the-counter” medications, as well as any “herbal” concoctions.

When people are on modern drugs, they shouldn’t ingest anything without double-checking with their Docs, and also their friendly local pharmacists!


86 posted on 11/21/2008 11:41:27 PM PST by jacquej
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To: jacquej
I used a local independent pharmacy myself. He /she gets to know you and is more likely to catch anything wrong plus they take time to answer questions. I also avoid natural remedies too. Some of that stuff taken by the wrong persons can be dangerous.

Teenagers discovered the wonders of OTC cold medication long ago even stuff still out there. It can be as potent as LSD if abused. I'm even careful about Robintusin.. One night I accidentally double dosed on it and Yee Hah LOL I was drunk as a monkey for a while.. I have some short term memory problems at times and that was one of those times when I did that.

87 posted on 11/22/2008 12:04:20 AM PST by cva66snipe ($.01 The current difference between the DEM's and GOP as well as their combined worth to this nation)
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To: Morgana

The reason is this. Some new york hospitals that you are hearing of in the news are all state funded hospitals. There are many great hospitals in new york such as ny presby and north shore manhasset. The problem is the nursing shortage and people using the ER as their primary doctor. I am not saying that this woman is not suffering but there is definitely more to this story. You do not lose limbs from an kidney stone.


88 posted on 11/22/2008 12:07:29 AM PST by kathconserv
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To: ninonitti

sure. milk it for all it;s worth when all hospitals are broke as it is.


89 posted on 11/22/2008 12:07:29 AM PST by kathconserv
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To: ican'tbelieveit

I know three people with stones who were sent home to drink water and see if they passed. Two passed but the thrid had lithotripsy.


90 posted on 11/22/2008 11:04:05 AM PST by cajungirl (no)
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To: wastedyears

If it saved my life, I would be grateful assuming I didn’t blame them for the septic shock which may or may not have been evident in the initial ER.


91 posted on 11/22/2008 11:05:13 AM PST by cajungirl (no)
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To: Ethrane
This is why I hate medicine, and why I try daily to talk my daughter out of persuing a career in the field like her Dad.

I wouldn't do that. You get to see the best and the worst and all the stuff in the middle. But I agree with one thing... KNOW what you're getting into when you go into medicine... not what you think it is but what it actually is.

I think every pre-med student should shadow several MD's of different specialties for a couple of months on nights/weekends/holidays. Especially if they are women or don't have a background in medicine. I tell them to think about what you LOVE to do and then don't believe the television shows.

Some of my kids watch "House", "Grey's Anatomy", "ER" and "Scrubs"... I tell them the most realistic one is Scrubs.

The fact that there are radiologists, cardiologists, etc.. that HATE what they do but make great money is the trap.

Cause you hate your life but you can't get out... waa-waa-waa... They've gone to far down the road and going back means living like an indentured servant and building everything all over again. So they usually have the sour disposition that everything is a bother and that life would be grand if it weren't for those pesky sick people that come in between 5pm and 4 a.m.

If you're a girl and think that you'll have the time to go to you kid's soccer game, make dinner and be a neurosurgeon.... you're not. Unless you do academic medicine and even then you'll either short change your patients or your family.

Time, that's the thing. Time.

I have the med students I've been in contact with tell me what they want and then try to show them what a great opportunity they have to help people, be stimulated by interesting cases, make a living in air conditioning, and fill the fridge/gas tank and tummy.

If you're a doc, seriously think of all the options. Clinical practice, locum tenens , sports medicine, research, risk analysis, writing, art, television, occupational medicine... the only limit are the ones we impose on ourselves.

I'm sure it's a drag sometimes, but where else do you get someone come to you and in all honesty say, "I'm trusting my LIFE in your hands, help me." or their kid's life.

Then of course ya got the drug seekers, workers comp scammers, fall down at Walmart scammers, drunks, druggies, whores, angels, pimps, priests, and all the everyday people in the world look to you and say.... "hey, I got this (insert symptom) what should I do. Then we get to spout off and tell them..... NEAT, huh?

I'm hoping my kids are just the best damn whatever they do, but being a doctor isn't a bad choice. At least you'll always have a skill. Hopefully.

92 posted on 11/22/2008 7:10:43 PM PST by erman
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To: wastedyears
I imagine you would be quite pissed off if doctors hacked off your extremities.

I probably would be madder at myself for going to see one of these guys in the first place. My recent experience with the practice of medicine has been less than satisfactory.....no one listens or connects to you and they - pardon the bad joke - charge an arm and a leg or in this womans case 2 arms and legs.

No value at all for what little they provide.

93 posted on 11/23/2008 6:22:56 PM PST by ninonitti
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