Legal Issues in the Care of Pressure Ulcer Patients - Medline

sttttttttttttsDeposed: A Personal PerspectiveBy Evonne Fowler, MSN, RN, CWOCNThe unthinkable happened to me.In my 46 years of nursing, I have always feltthat I was a patient advocate. In fact, I have toldmany a patient, “If I were you, I would want meto take care of you.” I was shocked when I openedthe door one evening and was handed a subpoenato report for a deposition.One of the patients I had cared for a few yearsago had brought a lawsuit against the hospital andI was implicated as one of the wound care specialistswho had rendered service.I was devastated. I have always done my bestto keep patients in my charge clean, dry, comfortableand safe. So how did this happen and what does itmean for me? What would happen next?I remembered the patient quite well. She was avery complex and difficult patient. Here’s what myreview of her medical record revealed. She was a54-year-old morbidly obese (425 lbs.) female whowas admitted to the Emergency Department afterthree days of being febrile, unable to eat, experiencingliquid stools and being lethargic. The paramedicshad been called to the home earlier, but she hadrefused to be taken to the hospital. Later that night,her daughter was able to persuade her to go to theEmergency Department. Her admitting diagnosiswas right leg cellulitis. She had a history of multipleco-morbidities including venous disease, diabetes,morbid obesity, hypertension, chronic anemia,chronic kidney disease, asthma, and of non-adherentbehavior. She had called the membership servicesover 100 times during her years of coverage,reporting various incidents regarding her care.A few hours after admission, she was takento the operating room, where she had a soft tissueincision and fasciotomy for compartment syndromeof the right leg. On post-op admission to the intensivecare unit, her initial skin assessment was clearof bruising or wounds. She developed sepsis, hadan altered mental status with bouts of confusion,uncooperative behavior, lethargy, difficultyawakening and agitation; she was verbally abusiveto the staff. Her hospitalization was fraught withcomplications, including pneumonia with subsequentneed for intubation. Her behavior became combative.She pulled out the nasogastric tube and intravenouslines and had to be placed in restraints.Eight days after admission, two pressure ulcers(Stage I and Stage II) were noted in the sacral area.As per our protocol, photographs were taken. On postop day 12, the orthopedic surgeon requested a woundcare consultation for recommendations regarding themanagement of the open fasciotomy incision. Duringthe skin assessment, the wound care nurse documenteda 9 x 20 centimeter unstageable pressure ulceron the sacral area, 75% black, 20% yellow, 5% red.The patient was on the bariatric air support surface.The post-op leg wound continued to heal;however, the sacral pressure ulcer needed multiplesurgical debridements. At the base of the pressureulcer, an abscessed area was found. Once the sacralarea was clean, a negative pressure wound therapyclosure device was applied over the wound.Upon discharge, she spent an additional sixmonths in a skilled nursing facility for pressure ulcermanagement. Eventually, she returned home witha small open wound. Her lower leg cellulitis hadextended into an eight-month saga due to the complicationfrom the hospital-acquired pressure ulcer.Now what?I was a fact witness (required to help relate thespecific facts of this one case) rather than expertwitness (who is usually called in to offer an opinion).The hospital’s attorney represented me for thedeposition. I was called by the defense and counselednot to give any opinions.fact witness. A person testifying in court as to the facts or specifics of an individual case but not to offer opinions.sttttttttttttsexpert witness. A person, typically with expert credentials, testifying in court and offering an educated opinion on the case.Legal Issues in the Care of Pressure Ulcers: Key Concepts for Healthcare Providers21