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Boy Lost Eyesight After Failed Diagnosis, Suit Charges

A Tolland boy has sued his pediatrician, charging she failed to diagnose
his bacterial meningitis, resulting in his losing his eyesight.



The boy, Adam Mlodzinski, and his mother, Katherine Mlodzinski, say the
 then 7-year-old's complaints went no where when presented to Healthwise
 Medical Associates, doing business as Vernon Pediatrics & Adolescent 
Medicine, and Dr. Judy Huang-Bulger, who has a Manchester office, 
according to the four-page complaint filed Jan. 9 at Hartford Superior 
Court.



Instead of recognizing Adam had life-threatening bacterial meningitis — 
an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord as
 a result of a bacterial infection — Huang-Bulger first diagnosed Adam 
with an ear infection, the suit charges.



"The doctor blew off basically the severe headache that Adam had," 
family lawyer Joel Faxon said, adding, "That delay in treatment caused 
the meningitis to worsen, the brain infection to worsen, and now Adam is
 blind."



Early diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis is critical, 
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 "If symptoms occur, the patient should see a doctor immediately," the 
CDC's web site states.



Adam did that, the lawsuit claims. But, in this case, he and his family 
maintain it didn't help.

 Adam, now 9, fell ill on Halloween 2009. Despite several visits to
 Huang-Bulger, his condition worsened over the next couple of days,
 according to Faxon.



Apparently dissatisfied with the diagnosis, the boy's parents called the 
doctor again for yet another appointment, the lawsuit states. But a 
receptionist sent Adam away, court documents charge. 

A lawyer who represents both Healthwise and Huang-Bulger insisted they 
did nothing wrong.



"The doctor did not blow off anything," attorney James Rosenblum said.
" That is a false allegation."



"I know the doctor is an extremely talented, dedicated, very fine 
physician," Rosenblum added, "and I expect that the claims will be shown 
to be demonstrably unjustified."



The plaintiffs' case includes another doctor's assessment of the 
allegation that Adam's mother was told on Nov. 2, 2009, "by the 
receptionist that there was 'nothing else they could do' as Adam was
 just there.'"



"The standard of care requires that a nurse or physician assess the 
status of the patient, not the receptionist, and make a determination if 
and when re-evaluation is necessary," that doctor added in the document.



The doctor's statement also indicates that on Nov. 3, 2009, Adam was in 
"acute distress" from a headache — so much as to limit Huang-Bulger's 
ability to perform a neurological exam.



Huang-Bulger directed that Adam be taken for an outpatient CAT-scan of 
his brain, which resulted in him being diagnosed with a migraine, 
according to a web site, http://www.adamsadventure.org, aimed at raising
 money for a Tolland playground accessible to children with all
 abilities.



Instead, Huang-Bulger should have sent Adam to an emergency room, where 
a spinal tap could've revealed the boy was suffering from meningitis, 
and antibiotics could have been administered intravenously to stop the 
deadly disease before it took his eyesight, Faxon said.



"The signs and symptoms were all there," Faxon said, "she (Huang-Bulger) 
just missed everything."



The night of Nov. 3, 2009, Adam was found unresponsive at home, 
according to Faxon. The boy was rushed to Rockville General Hospital 
and, from there, airlifted to Connecticut Children's Medical Center in
 Hartford, Faxon said. There, Adam lay in a coma before he was diagnosed 
with bacterial meningitis, the lawyer said. When he awoke weeks later, 
Adam was blind.



Adam also suffered systemic bacterial infection, fever, respiratory 
failure, impaired speech, impaired hearing, seizures and brain damage, 
according to the complaint.



"There were catastrophic consequences," Faxon said.



The boy — once a soccer player — had to learn how to walk, talk and 
eat all over again, according to the Adam's Adventure web site. Adam 
lives at home, but is undergoing rehabilitation, Faxon said. The boy is
 studying Braille, the lawyer said.



"The learning curve is going to be much steeper for Adam because of the
 consequences of this," he said.

 But Faxon added, "He's a hard-working kid and he's got a good outlook."