Opinion ID: 584271
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Grewe

Text: 16 The appellants contend that Dr. Grewe neither knew nor should have known that his conduct on February 1, 1987 violated Taylor's constitutional right to treatment of a serious medical condition. Appellants' Br. at 16. Nor does the evidence support an inference that Grewe withheld treatment in order to coerce a confession about drug-filled balloons. Id. at 17. Taylor asserts that the evidence permits an inference that (1) Grewe knew or should have known that Taylor was admitted with pain and nausea; (2) Taylor was dehydrated and vomiting blood; (3) Taylor's serious condition required an immediate surgical consult; and (4) Taylor was under suspicion for swallowing contraband. Appellee's Br. at 13. 17 In his deposition, Grewe stated that Taylor exhibited a generalized fairly nonspecific-type of abdominal pain. App. 59. Grewe found that Taylor had no rebound tenderness, a common symptom of an inflamed appendix. Id. at 62, 64-65. Taylor had a normal white blood count, a normal bowel movement and no nausea or vomiting. Id. at 69. 18 After completing a physical examination and reviewing lab results and x-rays, Grewe concluded that Taylor suffered from abdominal pain of unknown etiology. Id. at 61. He decided to err on the conservative side and had Taylor admitted to the hospital for observation. Id. at 60-61, 66. Neither Taylor nor anyone else told Grewe that the inmate had vomited blood. Id. at 69. Nor do Grewe's clinical notes from the February 1 examination make any mention of contraband or vomiting blood. Id. at 128. The nurses who knew about the balloon rumors do not indicate that Grewe had any knowledge of the suspicions lodged against Taylor. 19 After reviewing the record as a whole and drawing all inferences in favor of the non-moving party, we find no support for Taylor's allegations that Grewe was deliberately indifferent to his serious medical needs. Taylor has failed to produce sufficient evidence to create a genuine issue that Grewe deliberately withheld treatment in order to secure a confession about drug use. On the contrary, the evidence suggests that Grewe engaged in a properly conservative course of medical treatment. If generally construed as a claim of negligence against Grewe for failure to diagnose and treat his ruptured appendix, Taylor's claim fails as negligence is not actionable under section 1983. Estelle, 429 U.S. at 105-06, 97 S.Ct. at 291-92; Givens, 900 F.2d at 1231. Accordingly, we hold that Grewe is entitled to summary judgment on the basis of qualified immunity. See Mitchell, 472 U.S. at 526, 105 S.Ct. at 2815; Hay, 931 F.2d at 460.