Anyone who has had to undergo a surgical procedure, no matter how minor, knows that there is always a feeling of nervousness and uncertainty associated with the experience. Things like wrong site surgeries and anesthesia overdoses are always on the back of our minds and we hope we don’t become an unlucky victim of any such medical error. What we don’t typically worry about, however, can be even more dangerous, as was the case with Concetta Tomasone.
Known to her family as “Aunt Chris”, Tomasone underwent what should have been a relatively simple surgery for a pacemaker at a Las Vegas hospital earlier this year. Three days later, instead of heading home to recover, Tomasone died as a result of the severe burns she received during the surgery.
According to case documents, the fire on the operating table was caused by a deadly combination of high levels of oxygen, flammable surgical prep solution and a spark from an electric surgical instrument, which ignited the dressing that covered Tomasone’s head. She suffered second and third degree burns over 30% of her body and was never able to recover from her injuries.
The hospital, which deems the incident “an unfortunate accident”, claims they took all appropriate measures to address the situation, however the State Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance did an investigation and found several deficiencies. Perhaps most disturbing was the fact that the staff failed to call the fire department once the fire started. The Bureau issued a statement saying that “the actions of all parties involved were way past negligent….they were egregious”.
Tomasone’s family is seeking $350,000 in damages in their medical malpractice lawsuit. Not for profit, they say, but in hopes that it will prevent this from happening to someone else.
Medical malpractice can come in many different forms, and some more common than others. If you have been injured during a medical procedure, even if you’re not sure if it was negligence, contact a medical lawyer right away. He or she can review your situation and help you determine whether you’ve been a victim of medical malpractice, and what the next steps should be.
Source: www.lasvegasnow.com
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