Cline, et al. v. Patel, et al.

Summary

In this medical malpractice case, a child suffered from a bout of necrotizing pancreatitis, which the plaintiff claims was not diagnosed in time. The child was initially admitted to Wellstar Paulding upon complaints of abdominal pain before being transferred to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Scottish Rite Hospital, under gastroenterologist Dr. Nirav Patel. The next day, the child went into hypovolemic shock and was admitted to the intensive care unit, where he was diagnosed with necrotizing pancreatitis.

Representatives for the child's parents claim Dr. Patel should have noticed the child's worsening condition and taken appropriate action, such as ordering tests or intervention. These actions, they argue, could have led to the discovery and treatment of the pancreatitis before it worsened.

Representatives for defendant Nirav Patel insist that he properly followed the standard of care. They contest that all of the child’s issues were vague but consistent with the original diagnosis of constipation, and that the child’s vital signs were initially stable under Patel’s care.

Outcome

Verdict for defendant.