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New York hospital launches probe into mishap and alleged cover-up involving chief of surgery
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The top surgeon at a hospital here in New York City apparently -- mistakenly said his patient on fire.
Triggered second degree burns -- that patient's neck and chest and then the surgeon it would appear tried to cover it up.
Here's the patient.
He was the dated at the time -- says when he woke up he had severe pain searing pain that was quote light my chest was on fire.
The hospital is Lincoln hospital in the South Bronx and sources build their tell the New York Post which is owned by our parent company.
That doctor never mentioned the birds in his post surgery report didn't even speak of it.
And he wrote that the flames actually presented no danger to his patient.
Trace Gallagher is live in our West Coast -- flames and -- surgery.
How the hell does that happen.
-- doctor JAL is performing a tracheotomy -- putting a breathing tube and pneumonia patient when his electronic scalpel which apparently does give off sparks got too close.
To an oxygen source.
And were told it caused de miner explosion the hospital still has not confirm this.
But the Health Department has first saying it was not harmful now acknowledging that it was in fact -- fire did burn the patient.
And they are investigating but if the doctor did try to cover this up.
That's a major problem must.
I think if you look at any type of medical error or mistake what becomes clear areas.
You have to acknowledge it it's even useful to apologize for cover ups lead to lawsuits.
-- lead to a loss of license.
They are disasters.
Doctor -- by the way does not work for Lincoln hospital he works for a contract in company that contracts doctors to that hospital and they have not yet carnage on this you know I've heard of them taking out the wrong organ or the taking off the wrong limb but never -- fire in there.
Yeah but it's a lot more common than you think it means still relatively rare but -- patient safety group says they estimate this happens around 550.
To 650.
Times a year and a 20%.
Of those resulted in severe burns even death now.
The most common cause as we just pointed out is electrical equipment.
Getting too close to oxygen in many hospitals are now trying to alleviate that problem here's doctor Caplan let's.
Sadly in health care we didn't have the kind of attention to safety didn't kill and quality control that we've had over the years in aviation.
And it's inexcusable but I think we're starting to get a shift in that thinking that hopefully will cut down on the rates of problem.
Yeah -- doctor Kaplan mention aviation ship there are 65 million surgeries each year in this country there are also 65 million flights that take off and land and if we had.
500 crashes a year they would shut down the entire industry wildcats certainly would Trace Gallagher in Los Angeles four -- thanks it will with a -- the lawyers.
Just hand Jeff the prosecutor and -- -- -- recruitment during.
That's an interesting analogy I don't know who works for everybody but it's interesting for me that I'd ever heard these fires -- surgery -- whatever but.
55650.
Over here.
Apparently so in fact since 2003 this new York state Health Department has reported I think seven but what's important here.
These are flash fires in -- point is important because 55600.
And there doesn't seem to be a solution so what we're really talking about here.
You have a doctor performing an emergency tracheotomy while I'm not Dr.
Manny -- I understand that the electronics scalpel.
It -- -- the wound as soon as -- cut to stop the bleeding.
If you working on somebody's neck the oxygen source is right over here.
It was an accident there's no wrongdoing can we explain why what -- -- -- why the doctor would choose to cover it up the teachers as a valuable lesson.
Own up to it it doesn't always mean that he did something wrong in the -- gonna be on the hook sometimes what we do -- is far worse than what we actually did.
I think this case it was extremely eminent doctors and a lot of trouble because not only now -- facing civil issues and you know the cover up twist in the -- some -- cover and who can cover such a thing up -- I will -- wait wait wait.
I go to -- and I'm out they do something to me out wake up and I'm bird.
And you cannot cover that up that's foolish and stupid stupid I agree and -- will realize I've learned Josh and you got more -- looked down -- smell like a far.
But Redskins go meet Palin -- -- a -- no number -- heard you pick up head out how stupid is as stock that he still -- goes like this I'm not gonna put in a report there's specific statutes that say.
If you do not put -- if you have an omission it's possibly crying here you don't -- the navy to cut my arm off.
Come -- -- I'm also -- -- -- this right but usually you cannot hide these things each hour right handed backhanded it to made -- back in I'd have to go to one handed backhand and up try to can't do as the extremely good at that back into some -- not -- -- -- as well.
They try to make stories come back it up our Larry what is your name again IIIR Donna -- you look at what finally I'll call you don't even want -- -- so I guess you switched the ball don't -- go on I mean I do and I'm not not well.
The most important thing here is what we all need to learn is when something happens it doesn't always mean that we're going to get sued we're going to get into trouble so -- I can't argue with you I -- -- -- there's -- -- Keeping oxygen over here and -- and defended the -- to do the electronic scalpel -- -- over here it's a flash fire and which means we don't know why it happens we don't know how what happens.
It just happily there's 650 of them in the country a year that they need to figure so now we'll do -- -- come at a hospital all burned up they're not going to be -- covered up and if you don't -- -- not gonna figure it out so that's that's where it -- -- explain what happened we have a problem -- five to 600 -- -- The airline analogy we were Paul what happens when you wouldn't -- regular that was you that was -- -- -- -- -- burning me.
Don't going to surgery that's down -- the kidney -- his -- and I did yeah.
-- there's one more thing.
