Patient dies from operating room fire

An Illinois woman died recently after suffering burns while undergoing surgery at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion.  After the operating room fire occurred, she was transferred to Vanderbilt Medical Center where she died six days later.

Operating room fires are a rare but preventable occurrence, usually associated with the use of 100% supplemental oxygen around cauterizing devices and surgical draping.

The National Quality Forum has created a list of 28 "Never Events" which are not supposed to occur in a hospital environment.  One of these is a patient death or disability associated with a burn from any source.  This includes operating room fires.

An operating room fire can serve as the basis of a meritorious Illinois medical malpractice suit.  However, anyone considering a medical malpractice case should be aware that these cases are always hotly contested by hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers, and in the event that you are considering such a case, you should consult with an experienced Chicago medical malpractice lawyer.