BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — An 80-year-old grandmother died after allegedly being served inappropriate hospital meals following lung surgery, according to a lawsuit filed by her family.
Carol Polifka, a native of Shelton, underwent a robotic-assisted right lower lobe wedge resection with mediastinal lymph node sampling and bronchoscopy at St. Vincent’s Medical Center on January 23, 2024, to treat lung cancer. The procedure itself was reportedly successful, but her family alleges fatal mistakes occurred during her recovery.
Allegations of Nursing Negligence
The complaint, filed by Polifka’s son, claims that nurses repeatedly disregarded her postoperative diet restrictions. She was supposed to be on a dysphagia diet — “easy to chew” foods and mildly thick liquids — as prescribed by a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) due to her risk of aspiration.
Instead, the lawsuit states, Polifka was served regular meal trays on multiple occasions without any physician approval. Investigators assert that nursing staff failed to confirm that meal trays matched the prescribed diet and neglected ordered precautions such as:
- 1:1 supervision during meals
- Small bite sizes and slow intake
- Upright positioning
- Monitoring for cough or change in vocal quality
A licensed registered nurse reviewing the case opined that the hospital staff showed evidence of medical negligence.
Medical Consequences
On January 30, Polifka suffered repeated vomiting episodes. She developed respiratory failure and ultimately experienced cardiac arrest. Tests later confirmed E. coli in her lungs, consistent with aspiration of gastric contents.
The Connecticut Medical Examiner ruled her death as therapeutic complications of the surgery, noting that while the procedure itself was successful, subsequent medical care contributed to her fatal outcome.
Family Reaction
Attorney Patrick Filan, representing Polifka’s family, described the situation as a preventable tragedy. “It’s not a case where the operation went wrong. It is basic postoperative attention to detail where she was let down,” Filan said. He emphasized that elderly patients are especially reliant on hospital staff for care and supervision.
Hartford Healthcare, the operator of St. Vincent’s Medical Center, offered condolences to the family but declined further comment due to pending litigation.
