Daughter of woman who died from brain damage after airway swollen shut sues hospital

GRETNA – The daughter of a woman who died after being admitted to a local hospital due to a swollen throat is suing for medical malpractice.

Amanda Theriot, individually and on behalf of Kellie Theriot (deceased), filed suit against Ochsner Medical Center–Kenner LLC, Ivo Iatchovski–Baronne M.D., Micheal Hickham M.D. and Louisiana Mutual Insurance Company in the 24th Judicial District Court on Feb. 13.

Theriot claims her mother Kellie Theriot went to the emergency room at Ochsner Medical Center–Kenner on Oct. 15, 2010 complaining of sore throat, pain with swallowing, headache and neck pain. The plaintiff alleges that a CT scan showed swelling in her neck and a narrowing at the top of her throat. Theriot asserts that her mother was critically ill and was in imminent danger and that Iatchovski–Baronne prescribed a strong pain medication to her, placed her in an in-patient room and called Hickham, as a ear, nose and throat specialist.

Theriot alleges her mother’s air way completely closed early the next morning and subsequently received a massive brain injury due to oxygen deprivation and life support was removed four days later.

The defendants are accused of failing to implement an adequate care plan considering the deceased was at a high risk for having her airway blocked, prescribing a pain medication that can cause respiratory suppression, failing to provide adequate monitoring of the deceased’s condition by transferring her out of the intensive care unit, failing to provide the deceased with a standard of care required under the circumstance to prevent her death and failing to provide adequate and timely airway intervention.

An unspecified amount in damages is sought for emotional distress, mental anguish, physical pain and suffering, knowledge of her impending demise, knowledge that she was receiving inadequate and life threatening medical care, loss of consortium, loss of companionship, loss of services, loss of society, loss of support and funeral expenses.

Theriot is represented by Edward P. Gothard of Metairie-based Nowalsky & Gothard.

The case has been assigned to Division L Judge Donald A. Rowan Jr.

Case no. 723-809.