SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Memorial Hermann Baptist Beaumont Hospital

Lester Thomas, 64, was overweight, a diabetic and had a chronic smoking history, all conditions which more than likely caused him to suffer a heart attack and die, said Dr. James Wallace, as testimony continued in the trial of Patsy Thomas et al vs. Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas.

The trial began Tuesday, Nov. 6 in Judge Donald Floyd's 172nd District Court and is expected to conclude before Thanksgiving.

Before he died of an alleged infection, an X-ray revealed a nasogastric tube lodged in the late Thomas' right lung. Thomas' widow and daughter believe their benefactor "suffered gross abuse" while in the care of Memorial Hermann Baptist Beaumont Hospital medical personnel and have spent the two weeks in court attempting to prove their case.

The plaintiffs argue the tube in Thomas' lung caused him to cough, which tore his surgery stitches and allowed an infection to cultivate.

Patsy's husband was admitted to Memorial Hermann in May of 2003 for a benign tumor in his rectum. During his stay, routine X-rays revealed a nasogastric tube inserted in Lester's right-lower lung.
On May 20, 2003, Lester Thomas allegedly died of pneumonia with sepsis.

Patsy and her daughter, Kimberly Wood, blame the hospital and its physicians and nurses for Lester's death, claiming the personnel negligently cared for him and failed to follow hospital procedure.

Lester's widow and surviving daughter filed their medical-malpractice lawsuit with the Jefferson County District Court on Aug. 25, 2003.

The plaintiffs allege the miss-inserted nasogastric tube caused a "domino effect," which ultimately led to the pneumonia that claimed Lester's life.

On the other hand, the defense argues Lester Thomas' infection was clearing up, and that Lester's death certificate, which cites pneumonia as the cause of death, is in error.

"(Thomas suffered) a cardio pulmonary death…it could have been a heart attack," testified Dr. Wallace. "It is impossible to tell though without an autopsy."

According to MedicineNet, a nasogastric tube (NG tube) is passed through the nose and down into the stomach. It is a flexible tube made of rubber or plastic and can be used to remove the contents of the stomach, including air, to decompress the stomach, or to remove small solid objects and fluid, such as poison. An NG tube can also be used to put substances into the stomach when a patient cannot take food or drink by mouth.

Barbara Hatcher, one of the nurses who cared for Lester during his stay at Baptist, testified that in her 20-year nursing career, until Lester she had never seen a case of an NG tube being left in a patient's lung for days.

Hatcher was the first to note that the tube may have been out of place. Her medical charts indicated that she was unable to hear air passing through the tube and that "white drainage" was flowing from the tube.

The suit named several physicians as defendants, but all the defendants, aside from Baptist Hospital, settled or were dismissed before the start of the trial.

The plaintiffs' lawsuit alleges Baptist Hospital Beaumont breached the applicable standard of care by failing to institute appropriate medical treatment and instituting medical treatment, which exacerbated Thomas' life-threatening and unstable condition in the following ways: