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Inset: George Lubrano (Midwest Cremation and Funeral Services). Background: The Missouri hospital accused of downplaying George Lubrano’s deadly diabetic ketoacidosis symptoms as “simply hyperventilating” (Google Maps).
Tragedy has struck a Missouri family, whose 24-year-old son died after what they allege was negligent care at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. George Lubrano, a diabetic, repeatedly expressed his inability to breathe and severe weakness upon his arrival at the hospital. Yet, according to a lawsuit filed by his parents, his pleas were dismissed as mere hyperventilation, leading to his untimely death from diabetic ketoacidosis just hours later.
The legal action initiated by Lubrano’s parents claims that the hospital failed to provide their son with the necessary and timely medical intervention on December 16, 2024. Lubrano arrived at the emergency room with critical symptoms, including vomiting, back spasms, and an alarmingly high blood sugar level exceeding 500. Despite these indicators, he allegedly did not receive the urgent care needed for his condition.
Diabetic ketoacidosis, as defined by medical experts at the Mayo Clinic, is a dangerous complication of diabetes where a lack of insulin causes acids to accumulate in the blood, potentially reaching life-threatening levels if not addressed promptly. Despite this, the lawsuit asserts that the condition can be effectively treated and reversed with appropriate and swift medical attention.
According to the details outlined in the legal petition, Lubrano entered the emergency department at approximately 1:30 p.m. Yet, by 2:43 p.m., he was still in the waiting area, not having been seen by a doctor or moved to a treatment room. During this time, he reportedly called out for help, stating he was unable to breathe. The hospital staff, however, allegedly conducted a brief assessment, found his lung sounds clear, and chalked up his distress to hyperventilation.
By 6:01 p.m., Lubrano succumbed to the complications of diabetic ketoacidosis, leaving his family to seek justice and answers for what they believe was a preventable death. This case raises critical questions about the protocols and responsiveness of emergency medical care, especially for conditions requiring urgent intervention. The outcome of this lawsuit may have broader implications for how medical facilities handle similar situations in the future.
A little under an hour passed, and Lubrano was still in the waiting room and had not been examined by a doctor or moved to a room, according to the petition. He struggled to breathe for a second time around 3:30 p.m. and he was “once again deemed to be simply hyperventilating,” the petition says.
“At approximately 4:30 p.m., [Lubrano] was still in the waiting room and had not been examined by a doctor or moved to a room when he told nursing staff he was feeling weak, and his blood sugar monitor was beeping and not working properly,” the petition explains. “At approximately 4:40 p.m., [Lubrano] was still in the waiting room and had not been examined by a doctor or moved to a room when he reported that his insulin pump had not been working for more than 45 minutes. At this point, [Lubrano] was breathing rapidly, his mouth was dry, and he was having difficulty talking to nursing staff.”
Hospital records obtained by Lubrano’s lawyer allegedly indicated that his blood sugar was “over high” per glucose parameters and documented that he needed to “go back to a room as soon as possible.” Around 5:30 p.m., the young man began struggling with his breathing again and complained of a “very dry mouth,” per the legal petition.
“At approximately 5:35 p.m., [Lubrano] was still unexamined by a doctor but was brought to a treatment room,” the petition says. “[Lubrano’s] condition continued to deteriorate; he started making gurgling sounds, lost his pulse, became unresponsive, went into cardiac arrest, and the nursing staff called a code.”
A doctor “ran the code” and attempted to resuscitate Lubrano “by way of CPR, multiple rounds of IV epinephrine, and an airway intubation that was initially erroneously placed in [Lubrano’s] esophagus rather than his nasopharyngeal airway,” according to his parents.
Lubrano died from “complications” related to diabetic ketoacidosis at 6:01 p.m., his parents’ petition says.
“The standard of care required at the classic clinical signs of advanced diabetic ketoacidosis, including Kussmaul breathing (not hyperventilation), dry mouth (dehydration), and dangerously high blood sugar levels, was for [Lubrano] to be placed on a cardiac monitor immediately and have intravenous access established for fluid resuscitation,” the petition concludes. “Instead, [Lubrano] waited untreated in the waiting room for nearly five hours, despite displaying clear symptoms.”
Lubrano’s parents allege that if “good, safe, and timely medical choices” had been made by Mercy Hospital staff, he would not have suffered the events that led to his death. They have named the hospital and two staffers, a doctor and nurse practitioner who treated Lubrano, as defendants in their lawsuit.
In addition to their legal petition, Lubrano’s parents also filed a letter of merit from a doctor last week who reviewed Lubrano’s medical records in connection with the care he received in the emergency department at Mercy Hospital.
“It is my opinion that Mercy Hospital, through their physicians, assistants, nurses, technicians, and other care providers, failed to use such care as a reasonably prudent and careful health provider would have used under similar circumstances,” the letter says. “Such failure to use such reasonable care directly caused or directly contributed to cause harm and the subsequent death of George Lubrano.”
Mercy Hospital could not be reached for comment Sunday by Law&Crime. A spokesperson provided a statement to the Springfield Daily Citizen on Friday saying, “We extend our heartfelt prayers and condolences for this family’s devastating loss. We have and will continue to work with the family and their counsel to work toward a resolution.”