Archive for January 26th, 2010

A Palo Alto man who developed an infection after donating blood at Stanford Hospital has filed a lawsuit against the hospital for medical malpractice.

Over the last 10 years, Christopher Bui, 43, had regularly donated his 0-positive type blood for free at the Stanford Blood Center, his attorney Joseph Carcione Jr. said. Then in April 2008, Bui came down with a debilitating infection and, when he could not afford the expenses anymore, Stanford denied him care, Carcione said.
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“I find Stanford to be absolutely disgusting in terms of the way they deal with people like Mr. Bui. It’s just disgusting,” Carcione said.

In June 2009, Bui filed a suit in Santa Clara County Superior Court against Stanford Blood Center, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford University and the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, school of medicine and medical center.

The suit alleges that Stanford injured Bui on April 10, 2008, when they took his blood and that they backed out of a promise to take care of him if anything happened to him by virtue of his donations, Carcione said. The suit furthermore accuses the hospital of being unjustly enriched by taking his blood under false pretenses and selling it, Carcione said.

He said the sum of the suit will be determined once he verifies how much Stanford earns from selling donated blood.

Gary Migdol, director of communications at Stanford Hospital and Clinics released a statement in response.

“Due to the privacy interests of its patients, Stanford University Medical Center cannot comment on the allegations raised by the blood donor’s attorney. The Stanford Blood Center has long-standing and safe procedures in place for the donation of blood by its many volunteers,” Migdol stated.

Migdol asserted that the occurrence of a complication from a blood donation is rare and usually limited to temporary bruising. He noted that blood draws are done by way of a single-use needle that is pre-packaged in a sterile container obtained from a non-affiliated manufacturer and that the needle is discarded after it has been used for a single donation.

There is a possibility, he stated, that donors may get infections from sources unrelated to the blood donation.

Over the years Rob has handled many cases involving medical negligence of both adults and children, involving hospitals, doctors, lower tier health care providers and nursing home/elder abuse. More on Washington Medical Malpractice.

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