Hospital missed woodland debris that led to post-amputation death of teenager, lawsuit alleges
A hospital in Oregon is facing a medical malpractice lawsuit after an 18-year-old allegedly died as a result of a wound being poorly cleaned. The plaintiffs allege the incident amounted to negligence.
According to the lawsuit filed by the family of the deceased, Ethan Cantrell was cutting wood when debris entered his right arm, resulting in a severe injury. He was taken to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center for treatment.
It was there that a doctor was said to have cleaned the wound with saline, before stitching it up and prescribing antibiotics for a potential infection. However, it’s alleged by plaintiffs that the wound still had substantial, visible debris that was not removed.
Cantrell continued to suffer from pain and swelling and developed a fever. The family alleges that they called the hospital, where they were told by a nurse that the fever was likely a result of COVID-19.
When symptoms did not improve, Cantrell was taken back to the emergency room.
Once there, it is alleged the wound was never checked, sutures were never removed and no new antibiotics were prescribed. The same doctor who performed the original examination examined the young man upon his return, the family said.
Second doctor allegedly finds woodland debris
Unconvinced by the examination, the family said it had a second doctor look at Cantrell’s wound. That physician opened up the sutures only to find signs of wood debris inside, the family stated.
The teenager’s arm contained 12 pieces of woodland debris—twigs, moss and pine needles—locked inside, never cleaned out by the original attending physician.
By that point, the infection was so severe Cantrell would need his arm and shoulder amputated to save his life. After the debris was removed, he was airlifted to Oregon Health and Science University.
There, clinicians cut off his arm at the shoulder. But they were unable to stop the infection.
The young man died three days later, the lawsuit confirmed. Plaintiffs—Cantrell’s family—are seeking a $100 million judgment for damages and recompense.
As of press time, the litigation has yet to proceed to trial. The hospital has yet to comment on the specifics of the case.
HealthExec reached out for more information.
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