Lawsuit Filed Over Negligence In DVT Prevention and Treatment

Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) October 10, 2012 – A lawsuit has been filed against an Illinois nursing home over negligence in the prevention and treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Carol Harrison, 63, was admitted to Maple Ridge Care Centre for rehabilitation and ventilator care following complications from surgery. As with many patients in long-term care, Harrison was at risk for blood clots. According to the lawsuit, medical staff failed to detect the fact that Harrison had developed DVT. Her leg had to be amputated, which allegedly hastened her death.

DVT is a potentially fatal condition that staff at hospitals and nursing homes must be alert to, as anyone with limited mobility may be at risk due to compromised blood circulation. DVT happens when a blood clot is created in the veins of the legs or pelvis. If the clot breaks free and travels through the bloodstream, it becomes an embolism. Common symptoms of DVT include discoloration and swelling of the limb, usually the leg. Patients at risk may be prescribed blood thinners like Warfarin, but pneumatic compression therapy is another alternative.

“Some doctors prescribe blood thinners like Warfarin to reduce the chance of blood clots, but these drugs are expensive, and have potentially dangerous side effects, which can be as serious as the clots themselves,” said Greg Grambor, owner of VascularPRN, a distributor of DVT prevention devices. “Pneumatic compression therapy is a far less expensive alternative, which is every bit as effective as the drugs, with absolutely no dangerous side effects.”

Maple Ridge Care Centre is a nursing home in Lincoln, Illinois specializing in wound care, pulmonary diseases and physical therapy. The facility provides respiratory care through a partnership with the Springfield Clinic and Southern Illinois University Pulmonology. The nursing home lawsuit was filed in Macon County Circuit Court by Harrison’s husband.

To learn more about a Sequential Compression Device, SCD boots, or the Skin IQ™ coverlet, visit www.vascularprn.com or call 800-886-4331.

Vascular PRN
601 S. Falkenburg Road, Suite 1-4
Tampa, FL 33619
Phone: 800.886.4331

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