[barbara3]

My husband was admitted in the hospital for complained of left leg weakness. The CT head result showed abscess vs. lesion. He was discharged the following afternoon since they said that his symptom did not progress and the neurosurgeon is going on vacation for a week. One to two hours after discharged, my husband complained of excruciating pain to the back of his head and a fever of 102.7 and severe weakness to his left side, and very restless. He was brought to ER by EMT. Few minutes after arriving to ED, he was showing facial droop and slurred speech and his fever continued to be high. Cooling blanket was used and a steriod was given. No antibiotic therapy. His WBC showed elevated the next day from 14 to 24. It seems that there was a definite progression of his abscess and antibiotic should have been statarted. He was transferred to another facility and immediately received massive antibiotics. Biopsy of his brain confirmed it was an abscess. He lost the whole function of his left side. My question is that is it a neglect to treat and a Medical Malpractice? Please advice.

[J_9]

Was the hospital he was originally at a rural hospital? The symptoms you describe here speak of Bell's Palsy, which does not require antibiotics. In some rural hospitals certain tests are not available, this is the reason for transfers.

Unless there is permanent damage, a medical malpractice case is impossible to prove and extremely expensive. Most attorneys these days will not even take a med-mal case unless there is permanent damage.

What was the outcome? What was his diagnosis?

[barbara3]

Originally, he was on a Level II trauma hospital. I requested the transfer because of my dissatisfaction of the type of care he received. After the brain biopsy, it was confirmed that it was a brain abscess and most likely caused from the dental work he had done five days prior to getting sick. All of the ultrasound, CT scan and test done in his liver, lung, heart, abdomen was negative for any abscess or infection. He is getting better but requires a cane to ambulate, his left arm remains very weak with minimal mobility.