Resident's Estate Alleges Failure to Timely Diagnose, Treat Fournier Gangrene; Verdict for Defense

In a case in which a nursing home resident's estate sued the nursing home and a physician affiliated with the nursing home for failure to timely diagnose and treat Fournier gangrene, a jury has returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the nursing home and physician, according to an article in the April 2020 issue of Medical Liability Alert.

The 78-year-old resident had orchitis, or acute infection-related testicular inflammation. The plaintiff, the resident's estate, claimed that the resident had orchitis before he came to stay at the nursing home. The plaintiff also alleged that the resident began showing signs of Fournier gangrene, a necrotizing fasciitis of the genital, perineal, or perianal area, soon after his arrival at the nursing home and that the defendants failed to timely diagnose and treat the condition. However, the defendants presented evidence that the orchitis developed after the resident's arrival at the nursing home and that the gangrene developed after he was transferred to the hospital. After his transfer to the hospital, the resident underwent four surgeries, placement of a colostomy bag, and insertion of a permanent Foley catheter. The resident had a heart attack during one...