A woman has filed suit against The Medical Center of Southeast Texas, Iasis Healthcare Corp. and one of its doctors, alleging her father died after hospital staff failed to follow proper protocol for his chest pain.
Brooke Dumesnil claims her father, Christopher Dumesnil, arrived at The Medical Center's emergency room on July 31, 2007, at about 11:21 p.m. with complaints of weakness and dizziness and with a history of hypotension.
It was not until 2:22 a.m. that Christopher Dumesnil was seen by a physician, who diagnosed him with chest pain, according to the complaint filed Oct. 2 in Jefferson County District Court.
However, after Christopher Dumesnil's diagnosis, chest pain protocol was not followed and hospital staff performed no interventions, the suit states.
At 2:36 a.m. Christopher Dumesnil was admitted to the intensive care unit and was under the watch of defendant Dr. Mohammed Amirul Islam, who ordered Christopher Dumesnil's dual antiplatelet therapy – aspirin and Plavix – be discontinued, the complaint says.
Still, Christopher Dumesnil continued to suffer chest pain and was not seen by Islam again until 11 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2007, nearly 24 hours after he had been admitted to the hospital, his daughter claims.
At about 3:15 p.m., Christopher Dumesnil's heart rate slowed to less than 60 beats per minute and he was transferred to the telemetry unit. There, at 11:55 a.m., he developed asystole, which is a condition where no blood flows to the brain, according to the complaint.
Despite Christopher Dumesnil's condition, hospital staff failed to call a code for 18 minutes until after he flatlined. Resuscitation and CPR were started at 12:13 p.m. to no avail, and Christopher Dumesnil was pronounced dead at 12:55 p.m. on Aug. 2, 2007, the suit states.
Brooke Dumesnil blames the staff at The Medical Center of Southeast Texas and Iasis Healthcare for negligence.
She says Islam should have ordered serial chest enzyme studies, which would have revealed Christopher Dumesnil was suffering chest pain because of decreased blood flow to his heart. However, because of Islam's failure to see Christopher Dumesnil, his failure to react to changes in Christopher Dumesnil's EKG and his failure to intervene in the complaints of chest pain, Christopher Dumesnil died, his daughter alleges.
Before his death, Christopher Dumesnil suffered physical pain, physical impairment and mental anguish, according to the complaint.
Because of her father's death, Brooke Dumesnil incurred funeral expenses, suffered mental anguish and lost her father's love, affection, companionship and society, the suit state.
Brooke Dumesnil is seeking an unspecified judgment, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, costs and other relief to which she may be entitled.
Clay Dugas and Mike Jacobellis of Clay Dugas and Associates in Beaumont will be representing her.
The case has been assigned to Judge Donald Floyd, 172nd District Court.
Jefferson County District Court case number: E185-053.