Piedmont ER's Failure Leads to Man's Death from Suspected Meningitis

A Gwinnett County man, Jermaine Nelson, died after being sent home from Piedmont Eastside Medical Center's emergency room three times with a possible case of meningitis. His partner, Kenneth Thomas, claims delayed lab tests played a role in his death, as the hospital's lab system had been down for weeks. Despite exhibiting worsening symptoms, Nelson was not admitted until the fourth visit, where doctors discovered a fungus in his blood and suspected meningitis. Nelson's condition rapidly declined, and he was pronounced brain-dead before passing away on Feb. 6. Piedmont Hospital stated that they have backup systems for lab testing and did not provide specific information about the patient's care or test results.