A Vietnam veteran died at the Sacramento VA Medical Center in October. A “do not resuscitate” (DNR) armband was incorrectly placed on the patient, but the Veterans Administration (VA) said that the error did not contribute to the death.
Family members stated that the patient was Roland Mayo, 65. Mayo was a Vietnam veteran and a former Riverside County deputy sheriff and marshal.
According to Mayo’s daughter, he was admitted to the hospital on October 8 to have a stent replaced in his carotid artery. Complications from prior cancer surgery required a second operation.
Following the surgery, Mayo seemed to be doing well. However, he later began vomiting, then choked on the vomit, resulting in his death.
Following an anonymous tip to Sacramento’s News10, the VA confirmed that a DNR band was incorrectly placed on Mayo’s arm. The VA stated when the patient went into distress, the code response team reviewed the chart and found that Mayo was not actually DNR. According to the VA, the incorrectly placed armband did not impact the response, and Mayo received appropriate resuscitative efforts.
The incident comes after an onslaught of VA scandals this year, including the revelation that thousands of veterans have faced months-long waits for their medical care.
According to a recent report by Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, poor care in the VA system is deadly. Up to 1,000 veterans have lost their lives because of VA treatment since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The pervasive malpractice also takes an economic toll and has cost taxpayers close to $1 billion in settlements.
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact a veterans lawyer, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800
