Brook v. St. John's Hickey Mem. Hosp.

368 N.E.2d 264
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 26, 1977
Docket2-276A52
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 368 N.E.2d 264 (Brook v. St. John's Hickey Mem. Hosp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brook v. St. John's Hickey Mem. Hosp., 368 N.E.2d 264 (Ind. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

368 N.E.2d 264 (1977)

Arthur A. BROOK, Tracy Lynn Brook, Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
ST. JOHN'S HICKEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, Guy E. Ross, Lawrence Allen, Warren E. Fischer, Defendants-Appellees.

No. 2-276A52.

Court of Appeals of Indiana, First District.

October 26, 1977.
Rehearing Denied December 8, 1977.

*265 J. Conrad Maugans, Bayliff, Harrigan, Cord & Maugans, Kokomo, Michael E. Tancey, Elwood, Douglas D. Church, Roberts, Church & Beerbower, Noblesville, for appellants.

*266 Michael A. Bergin, Locke, Reynolds, Boyd & Weisell, Ralph A. Cohen, Ice, Miller, Donadio & Ryan, John P. Price, Jon D. Krahulik, Bingham, Summers, Welsh & Spilman, Indianapolis, for appellees.

LOWDERMILK, Judge.

This case was transferred to this office from the Second District in order to help eliminate the disparity in caseloads among the Districts.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

This is a medical malpractice action in which plaintiffs-appellants Arthur A. Brook (Arthur) and his daughter, Tracy Lynn Brook (Tracy), appeal from a judgment in favor of defendants-appellees St. John's Hickey Memorial Hospital, Dr. Guy E. Ross, Dr. Lawrence Allen, and Dr. Warren E. Fischer.

FACTS

Dr. Ross, a licensed physician specializing in pediatrics, first saw Tracy, then 23 months old, on September 18, 1969. Tracy's mother told Dr. Ross that Tracy had been having unexplained instances of recurrent fever and that she had been choking on mucus.

Dr. Ross examined Tracy and found no evidence of illness. Suspecting that Tracy might have had an allergy Dr. Ross prescribed an antihistamine.

Dr. Ross next saw Tracy on October 23, 1969. At that time Tracy had a stomachache and body temperature of 105°. Tracy had had five recent attacks of fever and vomiting. Also she had been unable to urinate for more than twelve hours.

During the examination Dr. Ross found that Tracy had a rectal temperature of 103.6° and abnormal lung sounds at the base of both lungs. Based upon his findings Dr. Ross made a diagnosis of pneumonitis and recurrent pyelonephritis, which is a kidney or urinary tract disorder and suggested that Tracy be hospitalized for treatment and for further tests.

At the hospital a chest X-ray was administered, and urine and throat specimens were taken and analyzed. The nurses were instructed to administer penicillin, as prescribed by Dr. Ross, and to carefully observe and note the times and frequency of Tracy's urination.

Tracy's urine was abnormal in that it showed the presence of 40 to 45 white blood cells, normal being about 0 to 6. Such an elevated amount of white blood cells in the urine is indicative of a urinary tract infection.

While Tracy was in the hospital, Dr. Ross attempted to catheterize Tracy in order to obtain a urine specimen, but in the process he found evidence which gave him cause to suspect that Tracy had a vesical-vaginal fistula, that is, an opening directly from the bladder to the vagina. Dr. Ross consulted with Dr. Allen, a urologist, and together they determined that because of her urinary tract problems and her suspected fistula Tracy should undergo an intravenous pyelography (IVP), which involves the injection of a contrast medium into a vein or muscle so that an X-ray can be taken, wherein the kidneys and urinary tract are highlighted.

Dr. Fischer, a radiologist, injected the contrast medium into the calves of both of Tracy's legs, because he was unable to find a vein which he could use. The package insert, which contained the manufacturer's directions for injecting the contrast medium, recommended that the contrast medium be injected into the gluteal muscles (buttocks). Dr. Fischer had read articles in medical journals which warned against making intramuscular injections into the buttocks or thighs especially in tiny children, because possible nerve and muscle damage could result. That is why Dr. Fischer chose to inject the contrast medium into the calves of Tracy's legs, because, after the buttocks and the thighs, they were the next largest muscle mass away from the trunk of the body.

A short while after being discharged from the hospital Tracy began to have trouble with her right leg. Her leg was stiff *267 and her heel began to lift off the ground. Tracy's problem was later diagnosed as a shortening of the achilles tendon, which may have been precipitated by some kind of trauma to her ankle or calf muscle. After two operations and other expensive treatment, including the wearing of a leg brace, Tracy's problem was substantially corrected.

Tracy and her father, Arthur, have brought this suit alleging malpractice on the part of the defendants in ordering, administering, and supervising the giving of the IVP which, the Brooks allege, resulted in the injury to Tracy's leg.

ISSUES

1. Whether the verdict of the jury in favor of Dr. Guy E. Ross and Dr. Lawrence Allen was contrary to law.

2. Whether the trial court erred in refusing to give Plaintiff's Tendered Instruction No. 5 to the jury.

3. Whether the trial court erred in refusing to give Plaintiff's Tendered Instruction No. 1 to the jury.

4. Whether the trial court erred in giving Dr. Ross' Instructions Nos. 2, 3, and 4 to the jury.

5. Whether the trial court erred in giving Dr. Fischer's Instructions Nos. 4 and 5.

6. Whether the trial court erred in granting St. John's Hickey Memorial Hospital's motion for judgment on the evidence.

7. Whether the trial court erred in refusing to give Plaintiff's Tendered Instruction No. 4 to the jury.

8. Whether the verdict in favor of Dr. Warren E. Fischer was contrary to law.

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

Issue One

The Brooks' contend that the verdict of the jury in favor of Doctors Ross and Allen was contrary to law in that they contend that the evidence is without conflict and can only lead to one conclusion, that Doctors Ross and Allen negligently diagnosed Tracy's malady as a vesical-vaginal fistula, and that Doctors Ross and Allen ordered an unnecessary X-ray examination, which resulted in injury to Tracy's leg when the contrast medium was injected into her calf.

We hold that the jury's verdict was not contrary to law because the evidence most favorable to the appellees indicates that Tracy's symptoms were compatible with a diagnosis of some kind of urinary tract disorder and that where a physician has reason to believe that a urinary tract infection or disorder exists, then an IVP is a highly recommended procedure, if not a required one. There is expert testimony from several doctors which would indicate that in light of Tracy's symptoms and case history, Doctors Ross and Allen were following standard medical procedure in recommending that Tracy undergo an IVP.

There is also testimony from Dr. Newman, who specializes in urological problems in children, that although an IVP would not have helped in substantiating the existence of a vesical-vaginal fistula, if indeed one did exist, the IVP which Doctors Ross and Allen had ordered was, nevertheless, required because of Tracy's case history and other symptoms. Therefore, the accuracy of Ross' and Allen's diagnosis of a suspected vesical-vaginal fistula is not relevant to the case at bar. In light of the evidence which was presented at trial the verdict in favor of Doctors Ross and Allen is not contrary to law. See Pokraka v. Lummus Co. (1952), 230 Ind. 523, 532, 104 N.E.2d 669.

Issue Two

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Related

Kranda v. Houser-Norborg Medical Corp.
419 N.E.2d 1024 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1981)
Brook v. St. John's Hickey Memorial Hospital
380 N.E.2d 72 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1978)
Joy v. Chau
377 N.E.2d 670 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1978)

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368 N.E.2d 264, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brook-v-st-johns-hickey-mem-hosp-indctapp-1977.