Iowa hospital reaches $500k settlement over colonoscopy case: 3 key notes

Denison, Iowa-based Crawford County Hospital paid the widow of a patient who underwent a colonoscopy and later died from a severe infection $500,000, The Des Moines Register reports.

Here's what you should know.

1 The patient underwent a routine colonoscopy at the hospital. A surgeon accidentally tore the patient's colon during the procedure. The hospital scheduled a follow-up surgery the next day, but intestinal contents leaked into the patient's abdomen, causing a severe infection. The patient died eight days after the screening procedure.

2. The patient's widow sued the hospital in the following months. The hospital and the patient's spouse reached a settlement in April 2016.

3. The hospital released settlement documents Feb. 27, 2017, despite initially claiming the matter was confidential.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Webinars

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Podcast