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Jurors Find Texas Hospital Negligent In HIV Misdiagnosis
Woman Misdiagnosed During Pregnancy Wins $52,000 In Damages

UPDATED: 12:20 pm EDT August 25, 2005

HOUSTON -- A Texas woman won a civil suit against a Houston-area hospital Wednesday that she said wrongly diagnosed her as HIV-positive when she was about to give birth.

A Harris County jury found Methodist Hospital in Houston negligent and awarded the plaintiff, Nadine Johnson, $52,000 for physical pain and mental anguish, reported KPRC-TV in Houston.

Johnson claimed Methodist Hospital incorrectly diagnosed her with the virus when she was 8½ months pregnant.

"I felt like my whole world was crashing down," Johnson said. "I was scared for my children. I was scared for my husband. I didn't know if the baby was HIV-positive. I cannot tell you the emotions that went through my head."

Johnson said she received a call from her obstetrician in December 2002 informing her that a standard blood test taken at Methodist Hospital revealed she was HIV-positive. She said she went into premature labor within 24 hours of hearing the news.

"I was ashamed," Johnson said. "I didn't want anybody to come see us. I didn't want to talk with anybody. I didn't want to tell anybody. It was horrible."

Doctors and nurses pumped Johnson and her newborn son with drugs used to treat HIV.

Two weeks after Johnson gave birth, her obstetrician called and said there had been a mix-up at the lab, operated by Quest Diagnostics, and that she was not HIV-positive.

"We were just so grateful. We didn't get mad until nobody cared," Johnson said.

Johnson filed the suit against Methodist Hospital and the lab that ran the test. Her attorney, Stephen Buttram, said the lab technician did not properly label her blood sample.

"The person that drew her blood apparently mixed her blood up with someone else's blood," Buttram said.

In a statement, an official with Methodist Hospital said, "We sympathize with Mrs. Johnson, but we believe we handled her test properly. At The Methodist Hospital, patient safety is our top priority. We have stringent practices in place to ensure that lab tests are processed appropriately. We are confident that the verdict will be overturned on appeal."

Now Johnson wonders if the heavy HIV treatments prescribed to her son will affect his development.

"Every time he gets sick, every time something is wrong with him, I will always wonder," Johnson said.

Johnson said doctors have told her that there is no conclusive proof that the heavy treatments her son was on will have any effect on him.

Quest Diagnostics did not return phone calls from KPRC.