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GOODING v. ST. FRANCIS XAVIER HOSP.6/2/1997
Bycura, 282 S.C. 578, 586, 320 S.E.2d 59, 64 (Ct. App. 1984); see also, McGee v. Bruce Hospital System, supra (although the physician was not a surgeon, he could testify as an expert on the standard of care in the placement of a catheter by a surgeon); Howle v. PYA Monarch, Inc., 288 S.C. 586, 344 S.E.2d 157 (Ct. App. 1986)(a psychologist was qualified as an expert witness to testify as to diagnosis, prognosis, and causation of mental and emotional disturbance in a
Gooding only sought to have Sorensen qualified as an expert witness in intubation, not as an expert in the field of anesthesiology. Sorensen's training and experience qualified him to testify as an expert in the limited area of intubation. There was no requirement that Gooding's expert witness be an anesthesiologist in order to testify about intubation procedures. McGee v. Bruce Hospital System, supra; Bothelo v. Bycura, supra. The fact that Sorensen may have had less medical training and education than Dr. Hood is relevant to
II.
Dr. Hood and Hospital further argue the Court of Appeals erred by concluding that Sorensen's testimony was necessary and relevant to establish that Dr. Hood used Gooding's teeth as a fulcrum, thereby deviating from the standard of care. We agree.
In a
The parties agree on the standard of care for intubation. Dr. Hood testified it would be a deviation from the standard of care for an anesthesiologist to use a patient's teeth as a fulcrum during intubation. Dr. Hood denied, however, using Gooding's teeth as a fulcrum. Dr. Hood testified that when she left Gooding in the recovery room after surgery his teeth were intact and that she learned Gooding's teeth had been chipped approximately two hours later when he had been returned to his hospital room. Dr. Hood agreed there is a high incidence of broken teeth during intubation. There were no witnesses who testified they saw Dr. Hood use Gooding's teeth as a fulcrum during intubation.
Sorensen's proffered testimony does not establish that Dr. Hood deviated from the standard of care. Although he stated there is a risk of fracturing the two front teeth during intubation, Sorensen never testified that Dr. Hood used Gooding's teeth as a fulcrum during intubation. Because Gooding presented no evidence that Dr. Hood did not conform to the accepted standard of care, he failed to establish that Dr. Hood was negligent. Therefore, even if Sorensen had been permitted to testify as an expert witness, Gooding would still have failed to establish that Dr. Hood's conduct did not conform with the standard of care for intubation. Pederson, supra; Green, supra. Accordingly, we reverse the Court of Appeals' decision remanding this case for a new trial and order the verdict of the jury reinstated.
AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART.
FINNEY, C.J., TOAL, MOORE and WALLER, JJ., concur.
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