The family of a Chestnuthill Township woman who suffered an anoxic brain injury at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono and died there four days later filed a lawsuit last month against the hospital and its nurses alleging multiple counts including negligence and wrongful death.

According to the complaint, which was filed in Northampton County Court, Lina Dispensa, 71, was pronounced dead on Dec. 3 with causes of death listed as Influenza A pneumonia, cardiac arrest and anoxic brain injury.

Lawyers with Hof and Reid LLC, which is representing the family, said the hospital “failed to timely and appropriately respond to alarms triggered by Dispensa’s cardiac arrest.

“As a direct result of the ... negligence, carelessness, deviations from the accepted standards of care and failure to comply with good and medical practice of (Dispensa), she suffered cardiac arrest, leading to anoxia and multiple associated brain injuries, which caused her to become clinically comatose, ultimately leading to her death,” the complaint states.

Dispensa arrived at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono’s emergency department on Nov. 28 with complaints of shortness of breath, chest tightness and dry cough, lawyers said. She was placed on supplemental oxygen therapy and diagnosed with pneumonia. Later that night, she was transferred to the cardiovascular telemetry unit “with an anticipated length of stay of two days barring complications.”

She received an inhalation therapy treatment at 7:38 a.m. on Nov. 29 and around a half-hour later was found unresponsive and pulseless on the floor of her hospital room following a cardiac arrest with anoxia.

A neurology consultation just before 1 p.m. deemed Dispensa clinically comatose, lawyers said. Four days later, on Dec. 3, she was removed from life support and pronounced dead.

Lawyers alleged LVHN, “failed to ensure that only experienced and responsive nursing staff, unaffected by alarm fatigue, were assigned to the cardiac telemetry unit to provide proper and appropriate care.”

“The plaintiff has suffered the loss of his spouse, the loss of enjoyment of life, loss of happiness ... and will continue to suffer throughout the remainder of his life,” the complaint states.

Dispensa’s family is seeking an unspecified amount of damages to cover medical and funeral expenses, among other costs.