TBO.com > News > Latest News Reports
- Moffitt Among Quarterfinalists For Lott Award
- Two Women Thrown From Boat When It Hits I-75 Bridge
- Judge Imposes Stay On Lethal Injections
- Poll: More Coastal Residents Would Not Evacuate For Hurricane
- Robbers In Ninja Garb Strike Hampton Inn
- Deputy Is Accused Of Domestic Battery
- 2 Men Burst Into Home, Steal More Than $7,000
- Temple Terrace Man Wounded In Shooting
- Polk Deputies Charge 17 Men After Weekend Cockfight
- Baby Dropped Off At Fire Station
- Jury Awards $21.1 Million In Wrongful Birth Case
- Deputies Investigate Bank Robbery
- Grandpa Robbed; Grandson Charged
- Composite Sketch Of Armed Carjacker Released
- Progress Village Homicide Victim ID’d
Elisha Crews Bryant died May 26, from an overdose of medication at South Florida Baptist Hospital.
Video: Hospital Admits Mistake
By DAVE NICHOLSON
The Tampa Tribune
PLANT CITY - Preston Bryant was so happy to learn that his wife was in labor - albeit a few weeks early - that he forgot to clock out at his construction job at a mobile home factory.
In a few hours, though, Bryant would be a widower with a premature son fighting for life in a neonatal unit.
His wife, Elisha Crews Bryant, 18, died May 26 about three hours after a veteran South Florida Baptist Hospital nurse mistakenly administered an overdose of a drug commonly used to stop premature labor.
Elisha Bryant was buried June 1, the day after her husband’s 21st birthday.
“She was beautiful,” he said of Elisha, whom he started dating six years ago. He was in high school then, she in middle school. The couple had a daughter, Tailor, who is almost 3, and married two years ago.
“I couldn’t ask for a better mom and a better wife.”
The young mother’s death left a family grieving and the hospital staff in emotional pain.
On Wednesday, Preston Bryant blamed South Florida Baptist as he fought tears and occasionally broke down while speaking to reporters.
“It should have never happened,” he said.
The Plant City hospital acknowledged Wednesday that an employee made a tragic mistake and said it had offered its apologies to the Bryant family. Hospital Chief Operating Officer Bill Ulbricht said the nurse who administered the dose is on administrative leave pending an investigation.
“She is extremely devastated,” Ulbricht said of the nurse, who he said has more than 20 years of experience. He would not identify her.
“This is a tragic, isolated incident. The entire health care team at South Florida Baptist Hospital is truly devastated by this situation, and we are providing emotional counseling for them,” Ulbricht said.
Common Medication
When Bryant arrived at South Florida Baptist with labor pains about seven months into her pregnancy, her physician ordered magnesium sulfate, a common medication to stop premature labor, Ulbricht said. The nurse miscalculated and administered the medication via an intravenous line too quickly, he said.
The young mother began having trouble breathing, went into cardiac arrest and could not be revived, said Doug Burnetti, a Lakeland attorney who represents Preston Bryant.
Burnetti said medical records show Elisha Bryant received 16 grams of magnesium sulfate, four times the proper dose.
Ulbricht said this is the first time in his 11 years at South Florida Baptist that he can recall such a mistake. The hospital has about 500 deliveries a year. According to news reports, overdoses of magnesium sulfate were blamed for the deaths of at least three pregnant women in the United States in the past 13 years.
Ulbricht said the 147-bed hospital provides good care and that steps are being taken, such as more supervision, to ensure the error does not happen again.
A spokesman for the medical examiner’s office said the results of an autopsy on Elisha Bryant, who was a YMCA child-care worker, will take another four to six weeks.
Burnetti said a lawsuit against the hospital is possible and that his law firm is investigating the case. He said the hospital has been apologetic and cooperative.
Hospital Delivered Their 1st Child
Elisha Crews was a Durant High School student when she became pregnant the first time.
Tailor, who still cries out for her mother, had an uneventful birth at South Florida Baptist, her husband said. Preston Bryant said the couple made arrangements for the birth of their son at the same hospital.
He said he knew something was wrong shortly after the medication was administered and said at first he couldn’t get the staff to listen to his concerns. He was hustled from the room as her condition worsened.
Levi Bryant, taken by emergency Caesarean section, weighed 2 pounds, 10 ounces at birth and was 16 1/4 inches long. Bryant and his attorney would not say where the baby is hospitalized, but he is expected to require care for at least two more months.
“He’s not going to give up, and I’m not going to give up on him,” Preston Bryant said.
Sherry Crews described Elisha as a perfect daughter who didn’t smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs.
Crews said the death has turned her world upside down. “It’s been a nightmare.”
Reporter Ray Reyes and researcher Michael A. Messano contributed to this report. Contact Dave Nicholson at (813) 865-4432 or dnicholson@tampatrib.com.
I feel so sad for this family.God bless this family.we will pray for all of you and we will say a special prayer for the baby boy and his sister.
our prayers are with all of you,from all of us at a1.
Preston, Levi, Sherri , Erica and more, we love you, I know that She is with the Lord and praying for Levi. This is a rough time when people will say hard things. Not all people have the love in their heart like Aleisha did. Just Pray, God has so much Mercy to Give and I know He will to her. We Love you So Much
The Puerto Family
This is very sad for her family and ours. Ours prayers are with the family from family members in Kentucky.
First off my heart goes out to the family. Second of all let me just say that this hospital is not all that great. When I lived in Plant City my family and I used this hospital because it was close to where we lived. Even though there was times that nothing happen and there was a time that they help save my son from death due to another Hills. County Hospital screw up, there were alot of times that they did not do a good job. Where they almost let my loves almost die. I think the hospital needs to change all the way around and when they do they need to get some people in there that are there for the people not because it is a job.
My heart and prayers go out to the family. I knew them through a mutual friend.. How very tragic and devestating. I had my daughter at South Florida Baptist Hospital 2 years ago, and it just goes to show how you just never know what can happen during or before the delivery. Even if the family gets millions its not enough, it wont bring there daughter nor mother back....
My prayers go out to her family and friends.
The politicians are already in the hospitals (no need to worry about that)
My mother was in a car accident and went to SFB, they did a couple of X-rays and sent her home. 2 days later and a CT she has a ruptured spleen and other injuries...I don’t think she even got an appology. Plant city isn’t some small town anymore, thats just an excuse
My heart felt thoughts and prayers to this young women’s family. Especially her two kids. Her age isn’t an issue here. It doesn’t matter if she was 18 with 5 kids or 35 with 1. I hope this hospital takes care of what needs to be done to make sure this never ever happens again.
I think we should just get rid of all the nurses and people can start treating themselves through the internet and the so called internet doctors. Then, they can judge the nurses-because it is a pretty thankless profession. Hopefully, since the average age of the nurse is rising, and there are not enough to fill their shoes, the public will be forced to deal with their own healthcare and then they can see just how easy it is (NOT)!
In response to Julie DeGarmo....the episiotomy is done by the patients doctor...not the hospital staff...I had one done too when I delivered there
My prayers go out to this family.I find it so ironic that the hospital declared it an error.What a bad choose of words. When a experienced nurse creates an error that causes a death like this her licenses should be suspended for ever.Maybe it would be in all pregnant women’s best interest to let mother nature take its course
First and foremost my prayers and sympathies go out to the family.
Now to Diego Mcfly: NO I don’t find that troubling, and who are you to judge her for having her second child at 18? And to express no sympathy for the family but to complain about your poor insurance rate going up...it’s ignorant people like you that make me sick!
I delivered my son at this hospital 7 months ago and this really bothers me because I had such a good experience here. Also because I personally know the nurse who delivered me…
Oh and Diego...I was 20 when I delivered my son...does that bother you too??
I am so sorry this has occurred.
However, when nurses want to double check medications with other nurses they are viewed as being weak I have always believed it is a good practice to have someone double check the medications and how they are to be administered before they are given. More pressure should be put on the nurse leaders to support this practice.
First, my prayers go out to the family that lost their daughter and the 2 children who lost their mom. I was permanently injured by a nurse at Brandon Hospital back in 1997 during the birth of my son. And I’m sure there are hundreds upon hundreds of people who suffered an injury (or worse, death) as a result of our sad health care system. This is downright tragic.
My mother was in a car accident back in Febuary and went to this same Hospital (shes 70) they said she had just a lot of bruising .But we knew something was’nt right. And when she went to her private Physician she would not even see her,She told her she needed to go right back to the hospital .Turned out she had three cracks in her pelvis !and also spent three weeks in there and is just now getting well .Absolutely no excuse for this kind of stuff to happen to ANYONE.
My heart goes out to the family during this sad time. May God bless them and keep them in his care. As for the nurse, I work in the medical and I try to ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION to detail and be as thorough as possible. The nurse should treat all patients the way she would want to be treated. That is horrible that Elisha Bryant died from a nusre being careless.
Husband is going to get rich suing....second child at the age of eighteen.....what kind of insensitive and ignorant statement is that? If it were your wife you would sue the pants out the hospital as well. Some people are so opinionated when it comes to lawsuits, but when it involves their interests they’re the first to hire a lawyer. Hypocrite!
Richard Haynes - “Health care in this country needs a politican with guts to revamp it. “
I’d hope you are kidding, but I fear you are not! <begin sarcasm>Yes, the government and politicians do such a WONDERFUL job with everything else we put them in charge of (public education, social security, Medicaid, Medicare, welfare, Child and Family Services, etc, etc, etc), let’s put them in charge of our healthcare too! That will CERTAINLY keep nurses from making errors - good idea! <end sarcasm>
Prayers to the family...so sorry for your loss.
thay work there they should check the medicane before they give it to someone.................
” ...as at the hospital after experiencing early labor pains with her second child ...”
Does anybody else find this statement troubling when the patient was ONLY 18!! On her second child! Ouch.
Also .. her husband is going to get rich and all our insurance rates are going to go up. Yeah America!
How very sad. My prayers go out to this mothers family and to the children she left behind.
This is the same hospital that treated my niece like trash because she was a 16 year old having a baby. Her episiottomy was not repaired properly. She has since had to have reconstructive surgery. I think this hospital needs to be shut down!
WE all make mistakes, it is just that some mistakes kill others. It was an honest error. It might be time for the nurse to retire . This is an example of the “Nursing Shortage” causing extra 12+ hour shifts to be worked,that lead to lapses in judgement.
What do you expect for a middle of the road health care system we have in America today. Over worked, long shifts errors will happen. Health care in this country needs a politican with guts to revamp it. God bless this family
Advertisement
Posted by Katie Putnall, Plant City on 06/07 at 08:03 PM
My heart goes out to the family & children of Elisha. My heart goes out to this nurse. Everyone makes mistakes, and I’m sure no one feels worse about this than the nurse. It amazes me how people that people that are not in the medical field have the strongest opinions about how things should work when they have no idea what they’re talking about. I had two children at SFBH, both high risk, you can’t get better care. I’d go again anytime, any emergency. I am confident in their competence.