A 15-minute endoscopy would have given the physicians all they needed to know about Ruth’s condition. But that never happened.
On December 8, 2009, she went to a gastroenterologist, to whom she was referred. That specialist recommended at endoscopy. In the letter back to Ruth’s primary care provider, the gastroenterologist recommended at endoscopy to ascertain that peptic ulcer was not present. Peptic ulcer disease can kill quite fast, due to unchecked hemorrhaging. Ruth didn’t have peptic ulcer disease (although her death certificate lists that as the main cause) but she did die from unchecked bleeding. The specialist’s recommendation was not followed through.
Well, that’s not all together true. Following that December 8 visit, an endoscopy was made– for January 26. Ruth died on January 3.
The endoscopy would have given the doctors all they needed to know as to what was happening. It would have shown that there was a protrusion into her stomach. That would have raised red flags, which would have revealed a 10-centimeter tumor projecting into her stomach and causing the bleeding. As it was, in the end, all the physicians involved in Ruth’s treatment– and Glendale Memorial Hospital called in three specialists– were all scratching their heads, wondering what exactly happened.
And they made up a cause for the death certificate (which, as I have found up, happens all the time.)