Lawsuit says hospital caused woman to gain weight

CHARLESTON – A Boone County woman says a Charleston hospital gave her too much intravenous fluids and caused her to gain 20 pounds.

Cynthia Gay filed a lawsuit June 18 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Charleston Area Medical Center, the West Virginia University Board of Governors and Dr. Damian Maxwell.

Gay claims she went to CAMC on Oct. 22, 2007, complaining of abdominal pain and Chrohn's exacerbation. She was discharged four days later.

On Oct. 27, Gay again came to the CAMC emergency room complaining of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. At the time, she says she weighed 104 pounds.

Maxwell performed an exploratory laparotomy and ileocecectomy on Gay, the complaint says. After the procedures, Gay was started on intravenous fluids as she convalesced.

Gay says staff at the hospital was negligent and didn't monitor how much IV fluids she was being given. As a result, on Nov. 3, 2007, Gay says she weighed 124 pounds.

Also, her condition worsened and she had to be transferred to a hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Nov. 4, the complaint says.

She is seeking compensatory damages as well as legal costs.

Richard D. Lindsay is representing the plaintiff. The case is before Kanawha Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 09-C-1130