On May 23, 2023, a Virginia medical malpractice wrongful death claim was settled in the amount of $1 million for the death of a 55-year-old woman who died in a hospital because her low potassium level upon arrival was not timely or appropriately treated, leading to cardiac arrest and death.
The woman, who was married and the mother of adult children, was a diabetic who was brought by ambulance to the hospital where she was diagnosed with ketoacidosis and hypokalemia (low potassium). She was admitted to the hospital for care and treatment at which time her potassium level was determined to be 1.9 (normal potassium range is 3.5 to 5.2 millimoles per liter (mmol/L)). A potassium level of 1.9 is considered critically low, which was flagged by the lab. Low potassium can lead to arrhythmias and progress to death if not timely and appropriately treated.
Because insulin can lower blood potassium levels, the standard of care required the hospital medical staff to aggressively raise the woman’s low potassium level before administering insulin. The Virginia medical malpractice wrongful death claim alleged that the hospital medical staff treated the woman as if she was an ordinary diabetic without low potassium level, providing insulin before aggressively raising her potassium level. As a result, the woman’s potassium level decreased throughout the day and eventually was 1.0 at the time she suffered cardiac arrest during the early evening.
The claimant alleged that had the hospital medical staff appreciated the critical medical condition of the woman and treated her potassium deficiency aggressively and timely, she would not have suffered cardiac arrest and she would not have died as a result.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute, major, life-threatening complication of diabetes characterized by hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, and ketonuria. It occurs when absolute or relative insulin deficiency inhibits the ability of glucose to enter cells for utilization as metabolic fuel, the result being that the liver rapidly breaks down fat into ketones to employ as a fuel source. The overproduction of ketones ensues, causing them to accumulate in the blood and urine and turn the blood acidic.
DKA occurs mainly in patients with type 1 diabetes, but it is not uncommon in some patients with type 2 diabetes. Laboratory studies for DKA include glucose blood tests, serum electrolyte determinations, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) evaluation, and arterial blood gas (ABG) measurements. Treatment includes correction of fluid loss with intravenous fluids; correction of hyperglycemia with insulin; correction of electrolyte disturbances, particularly potassium loss; correction of acid-base balance; and management of concurrent infection (if present).
If you or a loved one suffered harm as a result of medical negligence in Virginia or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find a Virginia medical malpractice lawyer, or a medical malpractice lawyer in your state, who may investigate your medical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
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