Estate of Decedent v. Hospital and General Surgeon 2017 Umatilla County

TCNF trial attorney Cynthia Newton obtained a confidential 6-figure settlement on behalf of the four adult children of 62-year-old retired handyman who died following an attempted dilation of a colon blockage after 6 days’ conservative in patient treatment. During the colon surgery the patient suffered cardiac arrest and died despite heroic efforts by the hospital’s Code Blue team. The heart attack was due to a condition known as pulseless electrical activity, in which the heart does not receive adequate return blood supply through the venous system, so it beats but cannot pump blood to the body and eventually arrests.  Air pressure introduced as part of the surgery slowed the return of venous blood and stalled the patient’s heart.