[Trigger Warning]
A lawsuit filed last week in the State Court of Gwinnett County, GA, details the appalling tragedy of Maya Getahun’s death.
On October 7, the two-year-old girl was bitten by fire ants and was brought to the Piedmont Eastside Medical Center’s emergency room by her parents, Bethelhem Getu Hundie and Getahun Birhanu. Her breathing was labored, causing her to wheeze, and she had broken out in a rash, symptoms of anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe life-threatening allergic reaction to a food, drug, insect venom, or environmental substance.
The parents allege it took 20 minutes before ER staff administered epinephrine, the only drug that can halt and reverse the progression of anaphylaxis. During that time, Maya’s respiratory distress worsened, according to the lawsuit.
At some point after Maya was sedated with intubation drugs, Dr Richisa Salazar discovered there was no pediatric intubation equipment available at the hospital.
The suit alleges she should have confirmed the equipment was on hand before using the drugs etomidate and succinylcholine to prepare Maya. As the doctor was unable to insert a breathing tube into Maya’s airway, the child was rendered paralyzed by the drugs.
The complaint states that “Maya’s parents looked on helplessly as their daughter slowly died from lack of oxygen.”
Said Lloyd Bell, whose law firm is representing the parents:
Maya’s death was 100% preventable,” said Lloyd Bell, founding partner of Bell Law Firm.
If only the hospital staff had promptly administered epinephrine, Maya would still be alive. If only the hospital had the proper equipment to intubate a child, Maya would still be alive. Hospitals must be prepared to treat their most vulnerable patients. The failures at Piedmont Eastside, from delayed treatment to inadequate resources, were not only negligent but inexcusable.
The complaint notes that two medical malpractice judgments totaling $725,000 were awarded against Salazar according to Georgia Composite Medical Board records.
The suit also names Roshayla Bracely, the nurse who first triaged Maya, claiming her failure to promptly administer epinephrine constituted another act of gross negligence.
The complaint states the parents are requesting a jury trial and seek damages in excess of $10,000 “for the conscious pain and suffering experienced by Maya as a result of defendants’ negligence” and for medical and funeral costs.
We at SnackSafely.com offer our sincere condolences to Maya’s family, who relied on the hospital staff to quickly diagnose and treat their ailing child. We hope the lawsuit serves as a warning to medical practitioners everywhere that they need to recognize the symptoms of anaphylaxis and administer epinephrine in a timely fashion.
The family was likely unaware of Maya’s allergy to fire ant venom and did not have epinephrine on hand.
People with known allergies are at risk. We urge everyone who has been prescribed epinephrine to always carry two emergency epinephrine devices everywhere, every time, and to administer the first dose when anaphylaxis is first suspected.
Should the unthinkable happen, be sure to notify emergency responders and hospital staff that you are suffering from anaphylaxis and may need additional epinephrine. As this case shows, not receiving a sufficient dose in a timely fashion could prove fatal.
