Tenet Healthcare Corporation Sued for Punitive Damages for Giving Expectant Mothers Abortion Drug

West Palm Beach, Fla. (May 24, 2010) – Punitive damages are being sought against Tenet Healthcare Corporation and St. Mary’s Hospital, for the systemic failures to provide reasonable standards of care after a series of medical mistakes involving the administration of an abortion drug to two expectant mothers.

When she was 28 weeks pregnant, Tesome Sampson was admitted to St. Mary’s on August 25, 2008 for bed rest because doctors were concerned about Tesome going into early labor.  She was prescribed Progesterone, a naturally occurring female hormone to help avoid labor.  Instead, she was administered Prostin E2 which is used for the termination of pregnancies.

After the drug was mistakenly inserted inside her by the nurses, Sampson felt severe cramps.  After four hours of intense pain, the nurses told Sampson she needed to have a bowel movement.   The nurses brought her a portable toilet and encouraged her to defecate.   Sampson then prematurely gave birth to her daughter, Traniya, in the toilet.  This four hour delay resulted in a missed opportunity to prevent the untimely birth of Traniya due to the improper and deadly medication the Hospital gave her and her mother.

As a result of the medication error and the hours of unrecognized labor in the Hospital maternity floor, Traniya was deprived of oxygen which resulted in permanent brain damage.

The same night at St. Mary’s, Sharee Davis, who was on strict bed rest to protect her unborn twins, was also given the deadly Prostin E2.   When Ms. Davis was given Prostin E2, it induced her to give birth to her twins killing them both.

According to an affidavit by George Peckham, a healthcare management consultant, who reviewed the case, the events that took place that night demonstrate a systemic failure within the Corporation to deliver safe care to its patients and an immediate need for better policies at Tenet Healthcare Corp.

“There was a long list of serious failures to meet the medical and administrative standards of care, yet it is not exhaustive of this company’s reckless or grossly negligent conduct, “Dr. Peckham’s affidavit reads.

“There also appears to be a total failure to investigate the root cause of these medication errors that in a matter of hours killed two babies and severely damaged another, creating a lifetime of disability and dependency.  Even evidence that the wrong medication was given is missing from the hospital pharmacy medication log and further evidence of an attempted cover up exists.”

“The failure to properly check the high-risk medication is an egregious mistake.  Punitive damages are being sought because we want to make sure that no one else suffers from such colossal mistakes,” said David Kelley of the Searcy Denney law firm and attorney for the family.  “St. Mary’s Hospital and Tenet Healthcare Corporation caused two deaths and a permanently injured child that will require millions of dollars of health care.

About Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A.:

A nationally recognized trial law firm, Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. is committed to protecting and vindicating the rights of people injured through negligence, medical malpractice, deceit and abuse of power.  Over the past 45 years, the firm has represented clients in courtrooms throughout Florida and across the nation.  Visit www.searcylaw.com.

For more information on this lawsuit, contact Derede McAlpin at 202-973-1314.