Drs. Ajai Sandhir, Morgan Lyons and Sanjay Bharti were also named as defendants in the suit.
On June 24, 2014, Nicole Messineo presented to the hospital with complaints of chest pain and received a chest CT scan that showed a mediastinal mass with mild heterogeneous enhancement, according to a complaint filed March 1 in Monongalia Circuit Court.
Linda S. Yurko, as administratrix of the estate of Messineo, claims although discharged from the hospital, Messineo was instructed to follow-up with MedBridge and on July 2, 2014, she presented to MedBridge for her follow-up and was seen by Sandhir.
Sandhir told Messineo that there was nothing to worry about and he did not advise her to follow up with an oncologist, nor did he repeat the radiology studies, according to the suit.
Yurko claims Sandhir did not put lymphoma on his differential diagnosis, nor did he undertake any further effort to determine whether Messineo did or did not have lymphoma and, instead, he discharged her with instructions to repeat the CT scan in six months due to the mass.
On Oct. 24, 2014, Messineo was seen at another hospital for evaluation of a pulmonic murmur under the care of Lyons and, three days later, she underwent an echocardiogram that was interpreted as demonstrating severe valvular pulmonic stenosis, according to the suit.
Yurko claims on Oct. 31, 2014, Lyons again followed up with Lyons and on Nov. 14, 2014, she underwent another echocardiogram and the next day, she collapsed at home and was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital in cardiac arrest.
Despite efforts to revive her, Messineo died on Nov. 15, 2014, according to the suit, and an autopsy performed on her revealed that she died of Large B-cell lymphoma that had invaded her cardiac anatomy, resulting in her death.
Yurko claims the defendants failed to meet the standard of care and failed to act as reasonable, prudent physicians would in similar circumstances.
Yurko is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by Geoffrey C. Brown of Bordas & Bordas PLLC.
Monongalia Circuit Court case number: 16-C-129
