Doctor’s negligence leads to pain, seizures and death

A woman visited Tufts Medical Center, located in Boston, because she had been experiencing some symptoms that simply would not go away after she injured her back, and she needed treatment. The procedure was supposed to be fairly quick and easy, but things certainly grew more complicated than expected.

In another treatment, a tube had been put into her back, near her spine. To see where it was, the doctor doing this newest procedure decided to use dye, and he attempted to get it from a pharmacy, which did not have any in stock at the time. A replacement dye was provided and the procedure continued. The dye was injected into the woman’s spine.

However, when she woke up, the back pain that she felt was incredible. She also started to have seizures. Her caregivers tried to figure out what could possibly be happening, and that was when they realized that the new dye was to blame. While the doctor had reportedly read the label and decided to use it, that label distinctly warned people not to use the dye on a person’s spine. It was that misuse that was causing all of her problems.

Eventually, the woman passed away. The hospital has now started working on new safety procedures, admitting that a mistake had been made to her family.

Those in Boston or in nearby Connecticut should certainly know their rights after a medical procedure if they feel that medical malpractice led to pain, injury or even death. Since these things often happen without warning, it is best to know these rights before checking into a hospital.

Source: The Boston Globe, “Surgical error at Tufts prompts widespread changes” Liz Kowalczyk, Aug. 31, 2014