Kindred Hospital Philadelphia-Havertown Hit with Bedsore Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Kindred Hospital care under review after patient with Stage IV bedsore was discharged without surgical treatment considered standard for potential recovery

SANTA BARBARA, CA, UNITED STATES, May 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “Our client suffered a serious Stage IV pressure injury and was transferred to Kindred Hospital Philadelphia-Havertown. We allege our client was then not provided effective care and lost an opportunity for cure when he was discharged to a nursing home,” states Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national decubitus attorney.

Dr. Greg Vigna, Board Certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, states, “Two decades ago, as a practicing physician at a long-term acute care hospital, when we admitted a patient with a Stage IV sacral decubitus ulcer, we would immediately use a Clinitron bed, provide nutritional support with or without a feeding tube, and provide early surgical debridement. Then, after granulation tissue developed, we would consult a plastic surgeon and proceed with a myocutaneous flap closure for cure. Kindred did not provide our client the opportunity for cure which is legally required by the standard of care and the care patients deserve.”

Dr. Vigna continues, “Kindred and any minimally trained physician providing hospital care knows the prognosis of Stage IV pressure injuries. When a long-term acute care hospital chooses to admit a patient with a Stage IV bedsore, they are required to provide effective care described by the standard of care.”

What is the prognosis for a patient with a pelvic Stage IV decubitus ulcer complicated by osteomyelitis?:

“Among patients with decubitus-related osteomyelitis who did not undergo myocutaneous flapping, outcomes were generally poor regardless of treatment, and not significantly improved with prolonged antibiotics,” states Dr. Damioli.

Read Dr. Damioli’s article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20499361231196664

Dr. Vigna concludes, “The failure of acute care hospitals to provide flap closure for patients with deep Stage III and Stage IV bedsores causes the unreasonable risk of malnutrition, recurrent sepsis, resistant hospital acquired infections, and death. The standard of care since I became a doctor in 1988 has been to provide a treatment plan designed for cure which requires flap closure with antibiotics support.”

What does the Wound Healing Society Guidelines 2023 update say about flaps for cure?

“Preamble: Surgical treatment of pressure injury/ulcers is often considered to be a final invasive choice for wounds refractory to less aggressive care or for use when rapid closure is indicated, however, recent literature suggests that surgery can and should be performed safely in properly selected patients.”

Read the WHS guidelines: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/wrr.13130

Dr. Vigna concludes, “We are reviewing ineffective care provided by long-term acute care hospitals including Vibra, Kindred, Select Medical, and other local and regional providers.”

Greg Vigna, MD, JD, is a national malpractice attorney who has managed hundreds of patients with serious bedsores pre-flap and post-flap. He is available for legal consultation for families and patients who have suffered decubitus ulcers due to poor nursing care at hospitals, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities. The Vigna Law Group, along with Ben C. Martin, Esq., of the Ben Martin Law Group, a Dallas Texas national pharmaceutical injury law firm, jointly prosecute hospital and nursing home neglect cases that result in bedsores nationwide on a non-exclusive basis.

Read the Dr. Vigna’s book: https://vignalawgroup.com/decubitus-ulcers-guide/

For more information, visit the Decubitus Ulcer Help Desk.

Case ID: 250402974
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County

Greg Vigna, MD, JD
Vigna Law Group
+1 817-809-9023
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