EVERETT, WASHINGTON: A Washington hospital is facing a lawsuit over the death of Cheyenna Costello, a 41-year-old mother-of-three.
The lawsuit, as reported by Miami Herald, states that Costello was left to wait in the emergency room’s lobby for more than four hours despite being assessed as “critically ill” and in need of immediate medical attention.
When did Cheyenna Costello die?
Costello arrived at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett on November 2, 2022, after her husband dialed 911.
The ambulance rushed her “Code Yellow” to the hospital, as per Herald Net.
She had severe stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, according to a complaint filed by her husband, Sean Costello, in King County Superior Court on October 12.
The complaint states that first responders who transported her to the hospital recorded her condition as “urgent”.
A doctor also noted that she was “critically ill with significant risk to decompensate and even death, requiring prompt bedside evaluation and intervention.”
No one checked on her for hours as Cheyenna Costello battled pancreatitis unattended
However, Cheyenna Costello was placed in a wheelchair in the lobby because no seats were available and no one checked on her for hours, the complaint states.
She began having seizures around 11.30 pm and died shortly after, the complaint added, as per the report.
The publication also cited a coroner's report which said she had acute and chronic pancreatitis, a condition when the pancreas becomes inflamed with pseudocyst resulting in a probable irregular heartbeat.
Could Cheyenna Costello have been saved?
The complaint says that a blood test ordered by a nurse when Cheyenna Costello arrived at the hospital was not conducted until after she died.
It showed that she had low potassium, an imbalance that could have been corrected if she received medical care sooner.
“The thought that just getting a lab result and acting on it could have saved this woman’s life was heartbreaking to me,” Marlena Grundy, an attorney representing Sean Costello, told MedPage Today.
What does the lawsuit seek?
The lawsuit accuses the hospital of negligence and seeks to recover general and special damages.
Kristy Carrington, the CEO of Providence Swedish North Puget Sound, which includes Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, issued a statement after Cheyenna Costello’s death.
It reportedly said, “We are deeply saddened by this incident and our deepest sympathies are with the patient’s family and loved ones,” according to the Everett Herald.
Cheyenna Costello’s mother, Tricia Nelson, described her daughter as a “vibrant, much-loved” person who left “a hole in our hearts,” according to a GoFundMe page she organized to support Sean Costello and his children.
