The family of a mother and child who died during the birthing process have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tri-Lakes Medical Center, Dr. George Quesnel and William Burns, CRNA.
According to a complaint filed in Panola County Circuit Court on Aug. 24, by Irma Dell Wright, who serves as Administratrix of the Estate of Lisa Wright and Quartez Wright, Tri-Lakes Medical Center is liable for the acts and omissions of its employees, agents or servants.
The complaint alleges that a then pregnant Lisa Wright was admitted to Tri-Lakes where she was to give birth to a son, Quartez Wright on or about Jan. 12-13, 2004.
At the time she was admitted, Lisa Wright was a 21 year-old black female, who was experiencing labor at 40 weeks and six days. The charges state she was carrying the fully developed Quartez Wright and was experiencing contractions approximately every four minutes.
Wright’s medical history indicates she was a "young healthy patient with no problems on the present date."
The complaint further alleges that at 9 p.m. anesthesia was called for along with an inthrathecal block.
"An inthrathecal catheter was administered by Burns at 10:15 p.m. with some difficulty," the complaint said. "After placement of the catheter, Nurse Burns administered Sufenta and Duramorph.
"Nurse Burns then administered four cc’s of .5 percent Marcane with epinephrine," it said.
Shortly after, the complaint states that Nurse Collins was unable to obtain Wright’s blood pressure. Fluids were increased, but no medications were administered to treat Wright’s hypotension.
Following several more attempts to obtain a blood pressure, Dr. Quesnel was called for the first time.
Dr. Jamie Warnick arrived bedside at 11 p.m. followed by Quesnel at 11:01 p.m.
An ultrasound conducted at 11:25 revealed that the baby’s heart rate was dangerously low and Wright was taken to the operating room via stretcher where an emergency c-section was performed.
Medical records indicate that after the cardiac reanimation of Wright with chest compressions, there was no fetal heart tone.
"After a period of time, the fetal heart tone would pick up, but it would never return to the normal range," the complaint said.
Following the stillbirth of baby Quartez, Wright was transported by helicopter to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis in a state of encephalopathy.
Encephalopathy is a term used to describe any diffuse disease of the brain that alters brain function or structure. The disease can be caused by infectious agent (bacteria, virus, or prion), metabolic or mitochondrial dysfunction, brain tumor or increased pressure in the skull, prolonged exposure to toxic elements (including solvents, drugs, radiation, paints, industrial chemicals, and certain metals), chronic progressive trauma, poor nutrition, or lack of oxygen or blood flow to the brain.
"Wright had a second cardiopulmonary arrest within six hours of her admission and was pronounced dead approximately 11 1/2 hours after the delivery of her stillborn baby boy," the complaint alleges.
The defendants in the case will face one count of acts of negligence, medical malpractice and deviations from the standard of care and one count of breach of contract.
