The wife of a cancer patient in Oregon has filed a complaint against the medical and doctor, alleging that her husband’s “wake” had become completely disabled while being treated at Oregon Health & Science University.
In December 2022, John Michael Murdoch, a 52-year-old tumor person, underwent a tracheostomy—a method to create a breathing opening in his neck—at Oregon Health &, Science University as part of his care for tongue cancer. During the process, Murdoch’s experience caught on fire, leaving him forever disfigured, according to a lawsuit filed by his family, Toni Murdoch.
The lawsuit, which seeks$ 900, 000 in restitution, alleges that the medical team had sterilized Murdoch’s experience with acetic alcohol, but it hadn’t completely dried when a clinical tool sparked, causing the flames. Murdoch was informed and up at the time of the tragedy.
Ron Cheng, the Murdoch family attorney, told the Oregonian, as quoted by New York Post,” It never should have happened”. He continued, adding that Murdoch expressed to his spouse the pain and pain that the fires had caused him in his final months while he had trouble speaking.
Tragically, Murdoch succumbed to his tumor in June 2023, almost six months after the surgical fire. He was not completely recovered from the distressing and disabling incident before his death, according to the lawsuit.
The coat also alleges that the application used during the process had a history of throwing off flames, which, combined with air and the damp alcohol, created a “fire square”. It names Oregon Health &, Science University, Dr Adam Howard, and unknown medical staff members as accused.
According to the New York Post, Howard first obtained his medical certificate in 2022, but it expired in Oregon in January 2024. West Virginia University featured him in a blog on their website from November 2023, though he is still listed as an teacher on the patient’s website.
The American College of Surgeons warns that operating room burns are ideal conditions and urges health personnel to stay alert to stop these events. According to a report from the New York Post, it is estimated that there are 90 to 100 medical flames per year in the United States.
