Post-Operative – Infection and Improper Testing Leads to Permanent Disability
A Confidential Settlement was Reached
Mark Mitchell was a successful businessman who had a routine surgery at an Ohio hospital. Although the surgery went well, Mr. Mitchell developed a post-operative infection. He was given very powerful antibiotics, including the medication vancomycin. Vancomycin is strong, but it can have very significant side effects. If it is prescribed, blood tests must be run periodically to make sure that dangerous levels of the drug are not building up in the body.
Unfortunately, proper testing was not ordered. As a result, although the infection was eradicated, Mr. Mitchell ended up with vancomycin ototoxicity (toxicity to the ear, auditory nerve, and vestibular system). In Mr. Mitchell’s case, the toxicity manifested in mild hearing loss and in permanent dizziness or vertigo. After extensive litigation, The Eisen Law Firm negotiated a confidential settlement.