A Pennsylvania couple has initiated a medical malpractice suit against the Charleston Area Medical Center after a camping trip injury became infected after treatment. The suit names Dr. Molly John, Dr. Brandson Robinson and the West Virginia University Medical Corporation as defendants in the suit.
According to the suit, Matthew Summerfield was on a camping trip in the Charleston area and was involved in an off-road dirt bike accident on July 8, 2008. The accident occurred when Summerfield fell off his bike, landed on his left leg and was dragged by the motorcycle on a rock-strewn dirt road. As a result, Summerfield experienced complex lacerations on his left medial knee and experienced significant amount of tissue loss. Additionally, he had an adjacent lateral laceration with tissue loss and moderate bleeding.
As a result of his injuries, Summerfield was taken to Charleston Area Medical Center for treatment. He was given Ancef, an antibiotic to prevent infection and Dilaudid to control the pain. Additionally, the suit claims that multiple pieces of foreign debris was removed from both his wounds. Summerfield was scheduled to be discharged but suffered additional complications. It was later discovered that he suffered a left patella tendon rupture. He underwent surgery and received Ancef before and after the procedure.
The suit claims that Dr. Brandson refused to provide an infectious disease consult during Summerfield's inpatient admission into the hospital. Summerfield later suffered from foul smelling drainage from his knee after surgery and necrosis of the skin edges. He underwent a procedure to correct this. However, Summerfield claims that "the defendants were negligent in failing to order intravenous antibiotic therapy and failing to understand and appreciate that the traumatic wounds could be contaminated upon arrival at the hospital"
Summerfield and his wife are seeking compensatory damages.
Source: WV Record "Pennsylvania couple sues CAMC for infected wound" 08/04/2010
