ORLANDO - A hospital is being sued for the death of a patient allegedly due to the patient not being able to use their CPAP machine.
Treabele Varela, as personal representative of the estate of Julie Jo Adams Brennan, filed a lawsuit on Dec. 28 in Orange County Circuit Court against the Orlando Regional Medical Center for negligence.
According to the lawsuit, Brennan was admitted to Orlando Regional Medical Center on July 10, 2020, and was diagnosed with rectal dysfunction. Joseph Gallagher, M. D. performed abdominal surgery the same day.
Brennan was moved to a hospital room after the initial recovery. Brennan suffered from sleep apnea and used a CPAP machine, the suit says. Brennan had been prescribed nine medications, with six of them having respiratory depressant side effects, the suit says.
Brennan's sleep apnea in combination, the side effects of medications and not being able to use the CPAP machine she had brought to the hospital resulted in her oxygen levels dropping while sleeping and going into respiratory/cardiac arrest, the suit says.
The plaintiff is represented by James S. Haliczer of Fort Lauderdale.
Orange County Circuit Court filing number 141042483