Case Studies | Armstrong Foulkes

Failing to act on abnormal Echocardiogram leads to heart failure September 3, 2018 Posted in: Case studies - Mr P was referred to a Consultant Respiratory Physician at James Cook University Hospital after developing shortness of breath and a cough in 2014. Over the next 3 months the Consultant arranged a series of investigations including an Echocardiogram (Echo). This showed Mr P had a mild left ventricular systolic impairment. Mr P was told Continue Reading
Avoidable pressure injuries admitted by hospital as part of their duty of candour September 3, 2018 Posted in: Case studies - Mrs P, an 80 year old lady at the time of treatment, developed severe pressure injuries to her heels and buttock whilst an inpatient at the James Cook University Hospital. The pressure sore to her right heel was particularly serious, requiring multiple courses of antibiotics due to infection of the bone, hospitalisation, surgical debridement and Continue Reading
No action on suspicious chest x-rays at James Cook University Hospital in the Summer of 2016 July 2, 2018 Posted in: Case studies - SB was only 54 when she died of lung cancer. A Wife and Mother. Five months earlier she had been admitted to hospital complaining of chest pains. She had a chest x-ray which revealed a tumour with a recommendation for an urgent CT scan. Regrettably SB was not informed of the results and advice for Continue Reading
Premature death of County Durham lung cancer patient June 1, 2018 Posted in: Case studies - Mrs N was aged 69 when she developed pain in her right shoulder blade. Her GP arranged for her to have a chest x-ray at a local hospital in April 2013 and this was reported as normal. Mrs N’s back pain continued. By the end of 2013 she was suffering some breathing difficulties which were Continue Reading
Failure to monitor fetal heart beat leads to stillbirth March 8, 2018 Posted in: Case studies - Mrs P was 38 weeks pregnant with her second child, a daughter, when she became concerned that she that she had not felt the baby move. She was referred to hospital by her community midwife and a Consultant Obstetrician admitted her to hospital for the her labour to be induced. This decision was reversed later Continue Reading
Surgery abandoned due to a lack of beds October 9, 2017 Posted in: Case studies - Due to abdominal pain Mr M was scheduled to have his gall bladder removed at the James Cook University Hospital in early 2015. It was intended that this procedure would be “keyhole” surgery with the option to convert to open surgery should this become necessary. If the “keyhole” surgery was successful then Mr M would Continue Reading
Pressure sores whilst in intensive care August 4, 2017 Posted in: Case studies - Mrs J was admitted to hospital in October 2012 with sepsis and multi organ failure and she was not expected to survive. She required admission to the intensive care unit where she remained for 2 months, for much of which she was in a coma. Fortunately, she pulled through but when she regained consciousness, she Continue Reading
Wrongful removal of a testicle June 1, 2017 Posted in: Case studies - Kevin was in his mid fifties, single, and had a small benign cyst on his left testicle. He had put up with it for a number of years. Eventually he was advised that he should have it (the cyst!) removed. Tests had confirmed that there was no cancer. He received assurances that this was all Continue Reading
Delays during labour lead to hysterectomy for first time mum April 3, 2017 Posted in: Case studies - Miss G, aged 22, was admitted to hospital to give birth to her first baby. Her labour was slow and she was given a drug called Syntocinon to try and progress the labour but this failed. Despite being fully dilated the baby’s head had not descended. The delivery team discussed using forceps but it was Continue Reading
Failure to consider x-ray leads to unnecessary death February 1, 2017 Posted in: Case studies - Shirley Wise was admitted to hospital in the early hours of a Tuesday morning with diarrhoea and vomiting. Her treating doctors thought she was suffering from gastroenteritis but requested that an abdominal x-ray be performed to rule out anything more sinister. The x-ray was performed at around 9:30 that morning but no doctor looked at Continue Reading