Actual RISK when Non X-Ray Detectable
Expending Nasal Dressings are used!

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL HEBREW TEXT OF AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN ISRAELI DAILY NEWSPAPER – YEDIOT ACHRONOT on: November 14, 2005.
In case of discrepancy in translation, the Hebrew text version is binding.

DOCTOR FORGOT DRESSINGS IN THE LUNG,
PATIENT'S BRAIN WAS DAMAGED

A SIMPLE SURGICAL PROCEDURE TO REMOVE NOSE POLYPS RESULTED IN BLINDNESS, SPEECH IMPEDIMENT, AND DEPRESSION.

The patient, Elad Rosenzweig (29): “The doctor placed tampons in my nose- they were inhaled into my lungs and forgotten.” The hospital: “There was no negligence”.

By Michal Goldberg

Elad Rosenzweig (29) wanted to undergo only a simple procedure to remove nose polyps that blocked his breathing. What should have been a simple surgical procedure resulted in his blindness, with permanent brain damage. The reason for this is that two nose tampons inserted into his nose were inhaled into his lungs, and forgotten there for 48 hours.

The above claim was submitted by Rosenzweig and his parents against “Herzlia Medical Center” and the attending surgeon. The claim submitted to the Jerusalem District Court on their behalf by attorney Jonathan Davis, states that except for asthma from which he was suffering since childhood, Rosenzweig was healthy. Eighteen months ago, Rozensweig was advised to undergo surgery to remove the polyps and thus ease his breathing.

Last May, Rosenzweig was admitted to “Herzlia Medical Center” for surgery and towards the end of the procedure, he experienced breathing deficiency. Additional physicians were called in, he was manually resuscitated and treated with drugs, but his condition deteriorated and he was connected to heart-lung equipment. Later he was transferred, unconscious and artificially resuscitated to the Intensive Care Unit.
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The claim states that only after two days following the surgery, tests revealed that “a white foreign body had completely blocked the bottom part of the respiratory tract”.

It was found that the two tampons inserted into Rosenzweig’s nose that were not properly tied, slipped down the trachea. At a certain stage, the tampons were aspired and caused the blockage of the trachea. The claim stated that the surgical team presumed that the patient had suffered from an asthma attack, and did not think of the more likely possibility of a foreign body having entered the respiratory tract.

The claimant accuses the surgeon for not recording the insertion of the tampons into the nostrils as stated in Ministry of Health procedural rules, and that he abandoned the operating theater, leaving the operated patient “to suffocate from the tampons.”

Since the surgery, Rosenzweig suffers from blindness, permanent brain damage; damage to his right leg, damage to his senses of smell and taste, tremor and difficulty of speech. As a, result he also suffers from depression and he is being treated by drugs.

Until the time of surgery, Rosensweig, who worked as head of a computer communications team in a large Cellular Company told “Yediot Achronot” “they have ruined my life – from being an independent person, I am despondent – I have become a baby again”.

The accused have not submitted their defense yet. Reaction from Herzlia Medical Center: “The incident has been thoroughly investigated – the hospital acted as any reasonable hospital would act, both in procedural and medical routines. Thanks to the expertise of the team and the emergency equipment at its disposal they were able to save (the patient’s) life. The hospital declines a negligence claim in performance of their team. “Yediot Achronot” has learned that the surgeon in question no longer works at the Medical center.