Wife Sues Hospital Over Husband's Stroke Treatment

Is the hospital in your community capable of handling any type of emergency?

A Baltimore County woman found out that may not be the case after her husband suffered a massive stroke and later died. WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team reporter Barry Simms said she filed a lawsuit against the hospital.

Simms reported John and Michelle Greer were married for 19 years. Her life changed on March 10, 2003, after John was discovered unconscious on the bathroom floor. Simms said he was rushed to Northwest Hospital in Randallstown.

"What's so bothersome about it is for 6 hours we sat in the ER before we saw a neurologist," Michelle said.

Simms said tests were run, but Michelle said doctors would not tell her what was wrong.

"It was a nurse that pulled me to the side and took me to a computer and let me know this is what's happening to your husband," she said. "He suffered a massive stroke."

Simms reported John suffered what's known as an ischaemic stroke -- when a blood clot goes to the brain, clogs arteries and cuts off blood flow. He remained at Northwest Hospital for seven days and died less than 24 hours after being transferred to a rehab hospital.

Michelle is now suing Northwest Hospital and three doctors claiming they all failed to provide critical care.

"I believe in my heart of hearts that I could have given John I.V. fluids, neutralites, electrolites or whatever they call it right at home and he would have stood the same chance of survival," Michelle said.

Northwest hospital won't comment on the allegations but told 11 News that an independent review found "there was no negligence" by the hospital or the individual physicians.

Michelle said a year after her husband's death, she learned about activase -- a clot- busting drug that if given within three hours of a stroke can significantly reduce its impact. But experts said it could also cause serious damage if administered improperly. Michelle said doctors at Northwest Hospital didn't tell her about the drug.

"If I had been given that information and doctors said, 'Mrs. Greer, this drug will only give your husband a 10 percent chance of survival', I would have taken it," Michelle said. "I would have taken it for a 2 percent chance of survival and who wouldn't?"

Northwest Hospital said it does not currently administer activase "to avoid the potential harm to patients from the improper administration" of the drug. Simms reported there was no information that Greer would have been a candidate for this drug.

Michelle has become an advocate for stroke awareness hoping her experience will help others. For more information about strokes, click here.

As a matter of full disclosure, Michelle Greer's husband John was a high school classmate of reporter Barry Simms.