Overview
- Hylton’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit last month against Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Health, alleging negligent ICU care that relied on a remote physician.
- Connecticut’s health department found no on-site doctor examined Hylton during the four hours after his ICU transfer and reported that staff failed to give indicated medication for alcohol withdrawal or notify his parents of the move.
- Hylton arrived on August 14, 2024 with alcohol-induced pancreatitis and dehydration, his condition worsened overnight, a code was called around 4:30 a.m., and the on-site attending was delayed about 10 minutes after getting lost on the way to the bedside.
- Hospital staff consulted a remote doctor who ordered intubation, and the lawsuit says a telehealth provider pronounced Hylton dead by video after resuscitation failed.
- Yale New Haven Health says it pairs virtual monitoring with bedside teams and cannot comment further due to pending litigation, as tele-ICU programs that grew during the pandemic face renewed scrutiny over response times and accountability.