Negligent Cardiac Catheterization

Our client, a 62-year-old female, underwent a cardiac catheterization at the defendant hospital. The doctor accessed the artery near the inguinal ligament, known as a “high stick,” which carries an increased risk of retroperitoneal hemorrhage and pseudoaneurysm. The doctor failed to take precautions to minimize those risks, and also used an Angio-Seal closure device which, as explicitly stated in the package insert, should not be used in high stick cases. The day after the procedure, our client suffered a retroperitoneal hematoma and pseudoaneurysm, which led to a fatal hemoperitoneum. The hospital staff’s failure to monitor her blood pressure, and hemoglobin and hematocrit levels more closely also contributed to her death. Further, an ultrasound or CT scan should have been done, as it would have identified the pseudoaneurysm and retroperitoneal bleed in time for successful treatment. Our client was survived by her husband and two adult children.