An ER physician didn’t do a CT-PA on this patient with shortness of breath. Look what happens:

She alleges that on May 24, 2005, Earl Traylor was a patient at St. Elizabeth’s UrgiCare center in O’Fallon complaining of shortness of breath.

According to the complaint, he was diagnosed by Thompson with presyncope, the medical term for feeling faint and lightheaded without losing consciousness, and multiple sclerosis. He was discharged with instructions to see his doctor in seven to 10 days.

Traylor claims the next day her husband suffered cardiopulmonary arrest and was admitted to St. Elizabeth’s in Belleville where he later died.

Traylor claims that Thompson failed to adequately and timely perform a chest CT, failed to perform necessary diagnostic tests, failed to recognize risk factors for developing a pulmonary embolism and failed to recognize that Early Traylor’s symptoms were indicative of a pulmonary embolism.