Opinion ID: 1860569
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: proof of malpractice

Text: William Gary, M.D., a general practitioner, testified Dr. Tubb should have ordered additional x-rays after Lester Willis, M.D., saw a complete obliteration of the C-6, C-6 disc space on May 14 from x-rays taken by Dr. Tubb on May 13. He was of the opinion Dr. Tubb should have referred Mrs. Nichols to either a neurosurgeon or an orthopedic surgeon when he became aware of the disc obliteration. Additionally, with the test results revealing an elevated white blood count, elevated sedimentation rate and high temperature combined with the x-ray analysis, he thought Dr. Tubb's standard of care fell below the minimum standard of care in failing to refer Mrs. Nichols to a specialist in Tupelo on May 15 after he had studied the x-rays and test results. [4] Houston Franks, M.D., a local orthopedic surgeon, testified that Mrs. Nichols suffered from hematogenous osteomyelitis. In his opinion an infection developed in the knee and was carried through the blood stream into cervical spine area. The infection lodged in one of the vertebrae next to the disc space and eroded the disc space. He opined she developed an abscess of the disc space. In his opinion, it was poor judgment to apply the Gardner-Wells tongs. He believed this traction contributed to the rupture of the abscess which caused pressure on the spinal cord and subsequent paralysis. The traction pressure also compressed tissue preventing blood from circulating in the cervical spine area. Paralysis would have resulted from pressure on the spine or the interruption of blood flow. Dr. Franks felt that Dr. McDonald could have prevented Mrs. Nichols' paralysis if he had properly diagnosed and treated her condition. Her infection had progressed for six to eight weeks before its discovery when Mrs. Nichols began to experience pain in her neck days before her first visit with Dr. Tubb. Dr. Franks on cross-examination conceded he had never treated cervical disc space infection and never used the Gardner-Wells tongs. Dr. Franks also agreed that Dr. McDonald had no indications of neurological deficits, which would have warranted surgery before it was performed.