Image Credit: Contributed

A Vernon country music singer is suing the Interior Health Authority and a slew of doctors after he was told to take Tylenol following a trip to the emergency department but ended up needing open heart surgery a week later.

Vernon resident Lee Paul Dinwoodie filed a Notice of Claim accusing the health authority and five doctors of negligence after a trip to the Vernon Jubilee Hospital.

The court document said in July 2022, Dinwoodie had a fever and severe flu-like symptoms so at 10:30 p.m. went to ER.

He complained he also had shoulder pain and a diminished range of movement.

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He saw a doctor at 2 a.m. who ordered tests and gave him a shot of antibiotics.

At 5 a.m. he was told to go home and take Tylenol as he likely had heat stroke.

Two days later he was back at the emergency department and after a five-hour wait was seen at 2 a.m. His family was told he would stay overnight and they headed home.

However, an hour later at 3 a.m. they were called and told to come and pick him up.

Vernon country musician Lee Dinwoodie.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Lee Dinwoodie

"(Dinwoodie's) sister was shocked and asked if they were sure he was OK to come home and was assured that he was. (She) got up, dressed and drove to the hospital and found (him) slumped over in a temporary wheelchair looking terrible. His sister told the emergency receptionist that they couldn't send (him) home like this as he was burning up and couldn't walk. She was assured that he was able to go home and he was given a prescription requisition to be filled," the court document says.

The following day the hospital called and said Dinwoodie had to come back to the hospital immediately as he had tested positive for staphylococci.

"(He) presented with elevated white count and thrombocytopenia. An echo was ordered which showed evidence of a vegetation on his aortic valve. He continued to spike fevers after four days of treatment and as a result his medication was changed," the Notice of Claim said.

Dinwoodie had a CT scan and an MRI and after four days all tests were complete.

"(Dinwoodie) was diagnosed with staphylococcus aureus septicemia, with a secondary diagnoses including hypokalemia, questionable prostatic nodule, thrombocytopenia questionably secondary to septicemia and endocarditis with a large mass sitting on the aortic valve requiring open heart surgery," the court document said.

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He was taken to Kelowna General Hospital and 10 days later had open heart surgery.

Dinwoodie is suing for an undisclosed amount saying the delayed diagnosis resulted in increased and severe symptoms.

He accused the hospital and doctors of negligence in providing care and treatment saying they failed to properly diagnose him in a timely manner.

Neither the Interior Health Authority nor the doctors have yet to respond to the court filing.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

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