Bleed Out (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Judith was taking Plavix, a blood thinner, and patients are typically advised to stop such medication several days before surgery. Despite this known risk, doctors cleared her for the rapid partial hip replacement procedure, which resulted in her losing about half her body's blood volume during the operation.

• plavix
• blood thinner
• hip surgery
• medical error
• surgery complications

An eICU is an electronic intensive care unit where doctors monitor patients remotely through cameras, microphones, and monitors from an off-site facility. On the night of Judith's surgery, the eICU team was watching through cameras from an airport facility, but her blood pressure plummeted to dangerous levels without anyone noticing, causing her to fall into a coma.

• eICU
• remote monitoring
• intensive care
• coma
• blood pressure

After reviewing his mother's care, the family discovered troubling inconsistencies in the anesthesiology records from her second surgery. The records appeared overly clean and flawless for a case with substantial blood loss, prompting Judith's uncle Dr. Ted Payne to encourage Stephen to investigate further and consider legal action.

• malpractice
• lawsuit
• Stephen Burrows
• anesthesiology records
• medical negligence

Judith woke from her coma nearly two weeks later but was diagnosed with severe cognitive and physical disabilities due to oxygen deprivation to the brain. She developed spastic paraplegia and could only walk with a walker. A neuropsychologist determined she had the cognitive ability of an eight-year-old and was deemed incompetent.

• brain damage
• cognitive impairment
• spastic paraplegia
• coma
• oxygen deprivation

Wisconsin law posed significant barriers to medical malpractice cases, including provisions that discouraged physician testimony against colleagues. The family's attorney warned the case could take three years or more, and depositions did not begin until 2013, with the trial finally starting in 2016, seven years after the incident.

• Wisconsin malpractice law
• deposition
• trial delay
• medical negligence case

Depositions taken in 2013 revealed that cameras in the ICU were not always on to respect patient privacy. The eICU manager testified that cameras were often off in patient rooms, and that an eICU physician cannot replace a physical on-site ICU physician, as they may oversee hundreds of patients per day.

• ICU cameras
• privacy
• eICU manager
• patient monitoring
• depositions

The film cites a Johns Hopkins study that labels medical errors as the third leading cause of death in the United States. Dr. Marty Makary from Johns Hopkins is featured explaining why he considers medical errors a silent epidemic that appears to be increasing.

• medical errors
• Johns Hopkins
• third leading cause of death
• Marty Makary
• silent epidemic

Judith's long-term care proved extremely costly, depleting approximately $200,000 in savings. Four years after the incident, she transitioned from Medicare to Medicaid as her savings were exhausted by ongoing care and medical bills. Steve also faced mounting medical bills and navigated complex insurance limitations.

• Medicare
• Medicaid
• medical bills
• financial burden
• long-term care

During a recorded meeting, a risk manager from Aurora West Allis Medical Center implied the hospital would offer financial help if they felt they had erred. This guarded response reflected the hospital's position rather than an acknowledgment of fault.

• risk manager
• hospital
• settlement
• Aurora Health Care
• medical liability

The documentary reveals that Judith was later rushed to the hospital after suffering a stroke, which was treated as a seizure. This additional medical event resulted in permanent brain damage, leaving her unable to speak and connected to a catheter.

• stroke
• seizure
• permanent brain damage
• Judith Burrows
• hospital

Steve consulted with Charles M. Harper Jr., a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, who discussed how medicine and patient care could benefit from prioritizing quality and health outcomes over financial incentives. His comments underscored tensions between profit-driven healthcare and patient wellbeing.

• Mayo Clinic
• Charles Harper
• healthcare reform
• financial incentives
• patient care quality

During Steve's investigation, surgeon Bauer expressed concern about why the ICU lacked on-site physicians and called the eICU system sloppy medicine. He acknowledged the monitoring setup was inadequate for patient safety.

• surgeon Bauer
• eICU
• sloppy medicine
• ICU physician
• patient safety