CU pays $150,000 to family after death of patient

[DenverChief]

I hate dentists

DENVER (AP) - The University of Colorado says it has paid $150,000 to the family of a man who died after oral surgery at the CU School (http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=167794&catid=339#) of Dental Medicine.

CU attorney Patrick O'Rourke said Friday the settlement was paid to the family of Simon Medrano, who died after suffering a brain injury during a 2008 surgery to extract an abscessed tooth.


Medrano was 41. He never regained consciousness after the surgery.
O'Rourke tells The <nobr style="color: rgb(43, 101, 176); font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; font-family: Arial,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;" id="itxt_nobr_3_0">Denverhttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif</nobr> (http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=167794&catid=339#) Post that CU didn't admit wrongdoing but wanted to resolve a case in which a family was harmed.


An attorney for Medrano's wife declined to comment.


The $150,000 is the maximum permitted under a law covering the legal liability (http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=167794&catid=339#) of state government entities.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[DaneMcCloud]

I think the patient was at fault as well. I'm no dentist but if you wait until a tooth has abscessed to have it removed, you're asking for trouble.

[LiveSteam]

I think the patient was at fault as well. I'm no dentist but if you wait until a tooth has abscessed to have it removed, you're asking for trouble.

I agree
brush your teeth & live

[kchero]

Very true, the story didn't really provide detail on what type of "brain injury" occured, but it sounds like if it was an abscess the infection could have been systemic at that point therefore causing other complications.

[yeti]

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16774336

Dr. Michael Savage, a professor at the school, attempted to extract a tooth but could not get it out and decided to transfer him to University of Colorado Hospital.

Later that night, in an operating room, Medrano was given a general anesthesia, and Savage pulled the tooth.

According to an investigative report compiled by the Adams County Coroner's Office, a breathing tube was removed after the surgery, and Medrano initially appeared to be stable. But, for unknown reasons, his airway became obstructed, and doctors had a difficult time reinserting a breathing tube. Medrano stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest.
Although doctors were able to revive him, his brain was deprived of oxygen for an unknown period of time. A follow-up scan showed no brain activity, and Medrano's family ultimately decided to take him off life support.


Don't know the details but they lost the airway. Which could have been related to the inflammation and swelling in the neck that results from a severely abscessed tooth. Sending the patient to the OR to extract the tooth was the right call though. Bottom line don't wait till the last moment to see a dentist when you have a infection.

[Rain Man]

I bet that hurt the dentist's grade point average.

[Pioli Zombie]

I know what that family is going through. I had a dog once who needed a tooth pulled. I had to wait because I didn't have Pet Insurance. He ended up passing away. Luckily, because of the people at www.petcremationskc.com I have my loved one in an Urn.

[mikey23545]

I'm having a little trouble seeing exactly why the hospital owed anyone any settlement.

[Crush]

He should have rinsed with antifreeze.
Posted via Mobile Device

[WilliamTheIrish]

I hate dentists


They're a LOT like cops. Until you need one, you don't like them. But unlike cops, the dentist actually helps people.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Most likely a laryngeal spasm. Makes it difficult to intubate. Sometimes it's impossible.

[Tylerthigpen!1!]

They're a LOT like cops. Until you need one, you don't like them. But unlike cops, the dentist actually helps people.

Truf

[DenverChief]

They're a LOT like cops. Until you need one, you don't like them. But unlike cops, the dentist actually helps people.

http://cardobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/zing.jpg

[Bane]

Just to throw it out there,most credible dentists won't remove an abscessed tooth in the first place.You have to rid the body of the infection through meds before the tooth can be safely removed without running the risk of further infection/contamination.
Posted via Mobile Device

[JOhn]

I bet that hurt the dentist's grade point average.

:LOL:LMAOROFL
:thumb:

[Slainte]

I bet that hurt the dentist's grade point average.

To say nothing of his YAC...

[tmax63]

I've hated dentists since I learned that 90+% of their continuing education is geared to marketing and finance. I have to have CE to maintain my certification in the medical field but I've never taken a CE on how to get more people to spend more money on drugs.

[alnorth]

I'm having a little trouble seeing exactly why the hospital owed anyone any settlement.

They probably figured that a jury was likely to be a little more emotional than us and at least give the 150 grand, and the lawyers would have been expensive anyway so they weren't looking at a possibility of saving much money. Even if they thought they could win, either the family gets paid or the lawyer gets paid.

If there were no caps in that state and the family was sueing for a million billion gazillion dollars they may have been more inclined to fight it out.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

Right. Because 150k will bring that person back. Sick.

[kevonm]

Right. Because 150k will bring that person back. Sick.
So the family is entitled to nothing? Most medical malpractice suits end this way.
The real issue is that it is easier on the hospitals to just pay a settlement than go to court. Who knows if the dentist even did something wrong.

I would like to see why they didn't trach him.

as for CE hours, do you have any evidence of this tmax? What field are you in, if you don't mind.

[Titty Meat]

I think the patient was at fault as well. I'm no dentist but if you wait until a tooth has abscessed to have it removed, you're asking for trouble.

It's hard to say Dane I brush everyday but because when I was younger and had a dumbass dentist not correctly fill a few fillings they'v became infected and dentist cost a fortune so I don't go until I totally need them.

[yeti]

Just to throw it out there,most credible dentists won't remove an abscessed tooth in the first place.You have to rid the body of the infection through meds before the tooth can be safely removed without running the risk of further infection/contamination.
Posted via Mobile Device

That is not necessarily true. Extracting the tooth is removing the source of the infection. Sometimes when odontogenic infections are so severe immediate transfer to the OR for extraction with proper management of the airway is the proper management in addition to IV antibiotics. Like it has been mentioned I wonder why they didn't trach him when they failed to re-intubate. Either the call to trach him wasn't made soon enough or they tried and it just wasn't fast enough. Wonder what happened?