Kings County (ny) Supreme Court—A woman presented to her Ob/Gyn with infertility. The physician recommended she undergo a hysterosalpingogram, which was performed by a radiologist. Postoperatively, she developed pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), resulting in damage to her fallopian tubes.
In suing, the patient contended that the physician failed to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics prior to the procedure. Further, the damage to her fallopian tubes will prevent her from conceiving naturally.
The doctor argued that the procedure was performed correctly, that PID is a known risk of a hysterosalpingogram, and that prophylactic antibiotics were not necessary.
The jury returned a verdict for the defense.
The cases presented here were compiled by Lewis L. Laska, editor of Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts. While there are instances when the available information is incomplete, these cases represent the types of clinical situations that typically result in litigation.