Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., August 10, 2008 Av 9, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:40 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Widow sues hospital for failing to provide critical transfusion By Ran Reznick Tags: Israel, blood transfusion  The Sheba Medical Center, at Tel Hashomer, was sued this week by a widow who says her husband, a leukemia patient, died in the hospital 12 hours after a life-saving blood transfusion was prescribed but not administered. The 57-year-old was diagnosed with extreme anemia, in which red blood cells are rapidly destroyed, as well with myocardial infarction caused by the extreme shortage of platelets, as well as renal failure. Emergency room doctors and doctors in the internal medicine ward at Sheba ordered the transfusion of three units of blood. However, for 12 hours, Merat Hermetz did not receive the critical blood transfusion, and he died at Sheba in August 2005 "as a result of an extreme shortage of blood and after he was inconceivably not given the infusion that would have saved his life." Hermetz's widow filed a civil suit in Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court this week demanding that the hospital and the Health Ministry pay compensation for what she calls the negligence that caused her husband's death. Advertisement The civil suit relies on the opinion of Beilinson Hospital's chief of internal medicine, who has examined Hermetz's medical file and determined the patient died of "extreme untreated anemia. His death was the result of medical failure throughout the chain of care from the hematologist, through the emergency room doctors and including the doctors in the internal medicine ward. His death could have been prevented at most stages of treatment, had even one link in the chain provided care that met a reasonable medical standard. His life was shortened by at least nine years." Merat Hermetz, a violinist with the Rishon Letzion Orchestra, was diagnosed in January 2004 with leukemia and began care at Sheba's hematology clinic. The lawsuit states that his "daily function was completely normal and he continued to work." On August 4, 2005, Hermetz saw the hematology clinic's Dr. Avraham Kellner due to a feeling of weakness. Kellner diagnosed a rapid drop in Hermetz's hemoglobin levels and prescribed steroids. The following morning, Hermetz went to the emergency room complaining of weakness, pallor and chest pains. The ER diagnosed extremely low hemoglobin levels and, at about 1 P.M. prescribed a three-unit transfusion; however, the medical orders did not note the urgency of the matter. At about 3 P.M., the patient was hospitalized in an internal medicine ward, and while he was being examined upon arrival in the ward, he was diagnosed with low blood pressure and heart rates, and was considered to be in critical condition. Hours later, close to midnight, Hermetz's condition deteriorated, and he was resuscitated and intubated. According to the lawsuit, only then was he given the prescribed blood transfusion. However, his situation deteriorated and he died at about 4 A.M. on August 5, 2005. The suit also charges that Hermetz's family did not receive information about his medical condition from the doctors throughout his hospitalization. The medical opinion on which the lawsuit relies indicates that Hermetz "died from a rare cause these days - untreated anemia - there is no doubt that the patient needed an immediate, life-saving blood transfusion. However, nothing was done... his death stemmed from a system-wide failure of all the doctors treating him with no exception: Dr. Kellner should have better assessed the condition of the patient who had extreme anemia. He should have hospitalized him and given him an immediate infusion. The emergency room care was highly unreasonable as was the treatment he received in the internal medicine ward upon his hospitalization." Sheba Medical Center stated the hospital "extends its condolences to the family. The patient suffered from a terminal illness of the blood and repeated instances of anemia. The extreme anemia was diagnosed in the emergency room... and to our regret, his condition in the emergency room was already untreatable. Hermetz later died of organ failure." The hospital also stated that it will respond in depth to the civil suit in court after it has studied the suit fully. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Going for the gold Israel's athletes made a forceful debut on the opening day of the Olympic Games. Cooking vs. driving As Ramadan nears, Hamas bans the use of cooking gas to fuel vehicles in the Gaza Strip.

Read & React Israel slams Turkey over Ahmadinejad plan to visit Responses: 116 Israel: We'll hold Lebanon responsible for Hezbollah's actions Responses: 272 PRC: Open crossings within 3 weeks or we'll end Gaza truce Responses: 73 Ze'ev Sternhall: Burying the Jewish state between Hebron and Yitzhar Responses: 85 Ultra-Orthodox 'Modesty Guard' suspected in beating of J'lem woman Responses: 106 More Headlines 01:23 Officials: Olmert failed to dispel graft suspicions in 5th round of questioning 02:07 Putin defends Russia's Ossetia incursion, slams Georgia over 'genocide' 23:27 Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish dies after heart surgery 00:09 Putin to Peres: Russia doesn't want a nuclear armed Iran 00:15 Beijing Olympics / Israel shows its mettle even without a medal 20:33 Gaza militants fire Qassam rocket into western Negev 15:21 U.S. Jewish congressman beats opponent who linked him to KKK 20:51 Diplomats: Syria blocks new visit by nuclear watchdog 20:35 INTERVIEW / Top U.S. general lays foundation for Palestinian state 07:46 EU tightens sanctions against Iran over nuke program 03:28 Anti-Semitic graffiti prompts Sarkozy's son to take legal action 17:29 As Ramadan nears, Hamas bans use of cooking gas to fuel cars in Gaza 22:38 VIDEO / Ultra-Orthodox 'Modesty Guard' suspected of beating Jerusalem woman Previous Editions Select Day 08 aug 07 aug 06 aug 05 aug 04 aug 03 aug 01 aug 31 jul 30 jul 29 jul 28 jul 27 jul

Special Offers Advertisement Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Isaac Maimon at Dreamshoppe Special summer sale. Make an offer now. You will be surprised. MBA in Israel in English APPLY NOW! Limited spaces available Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Yossi Avrahami Presents: New Luxurious Projects in North Tel Aviv & Eilat Your vacation starts here Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved