Failure to Give Blood Transfusion for Patient with Severe & Acute Anemia

A widow received an anonymous letter saying the writer knew why her husband had died in a hospital after he had gone to its ER and was admitted with severe anemia (i.e. lack of adequate red blood cells in the blood that carry oxygen). The anonymous letter indicated the man’s death happened because he did not have proper care, and did get a blood transfusion when he should have. She hired the Clore Law Group, LLC and suit was filed against various health care providers after further investigation, alleging that the man developed an uncommon condition, known as autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), that was not properly treated. With AIHA, the body’s own immune system attacks and destroys the red blood cells. Steroids and blood transfusion, if the anemia is severe, is the needed treatment. But with AIHA, any blood that is attempted to be crossmatched with donor blood will show up as incompatible, because if the body itself is reacting against the AIHA’s patient’s own blood, it will also react against donor blood. The suit alleged that a blood transfusion should have been provided, of universal donor blood or type-specific blood, regardless of the crossmatch attempts--just like when type specific or universal donor blood is provided in critical emergencies (e.g. car wreck patients, trauma victims, soldiers, etc.) and there is no time to perform the additional crossmatch step. The lawsuit was settled confidentially by Clore Law Group, LLC in favor of the widow and her children.

• Outcome
  Confidential Settlement