A woman received compensation following failures by Kent and Canterbury Hospital when removing a Groshong Catheter.
The hospital failed to fully remove a catheter from Camelia Jane Smith, left the cuff component in situ and performed no checks to ensure the cuff had been fully removed and as such, no removal of the cuff from the subcutaneous tissue.
Camelia had a Groshong catheter line fitted on 18th May 2015 to allow her to self-administer cyclizine. On 28th June 2015, she accidently damaged the catheter whilst at home and was taken to Kent and Canterbury Hospital by ambulance. Following review in the Accident & Emergency Department, Camelia was admitted to hospital to have the line changed the following morning.
Camelia was reviewed by the ITU doctor, Doctor Beaumont, on 29th June 2015 who removed the Groshong catheter line. It was further noted that the plan was then to organise for the vascular doctors to insert a temporary PICC line, discharge Camelia, then arrange for her to have the porta catheter to be inserted as an out-patient. Following a discussion, with the vascular team on 30th June 2015, it was felt that a central line was inappropriate and they would not be able to insert one.
On 17th August 2015, Camelia was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital for abdominal pain. During investigations, a foreign body was identified under her right clavicle. Specifically, the radiology examination on 19th August 2015, notes reddening of the skin under the right clavicle where there is a small subcutaneous lying foreign object with a diameter of 4 x 11 mm. It was further noted that fluid was detected around the foreign object in which power Doppler activity was seen. The whole length of the subcutaneous area was 4.3cm.
On the 20th August 2015, under general anaesthesia, Camelia underwent removal of the foreign object along with debridement and drainage of PUS. The client was discharged into the care of the district nurse to pack and redress the wound.
As a result of the negligence, Camelia was required to have further surgery under general anaesthesia to remove the cuff from the subcutaneous tissue. She suffered significant scarring to her chest, psychological morbidity associated with the standard of treatment and a prolonged period of pain and suffering.
Kate Lozynska, a medical negligence solicitor at Patient Claim Line acted on Camelia’s behalf and a settlement was agreed in the sum of £14,500.