An Oregon physician administered rubbing alcohol as an anesthetic substitute before removing a patient's toenails, according to a medical malpractice lawsuit. The patient begged the doctor to stop the procedure after experiencing injection pain, but he refused and instructed her to "just get it over with," the complaint alleges.
The physician, characterized as "in a rush" to leave work, injected isopropyl alcohol instead of proper anesthetic into the patient's foot. The plaintiff claims she sustained "severe and permanent injuries" from the incident. She requested cessation of the nail removal procedure once the injection's true nature became apparent through the acute pain it caused, but the doctor continued the operation regardless of her objection.
This case presents multiple medical malpractice theories. The core claims involve breach of the duty of care through medication misidentification, failure to obtain informed consent for modified procedures, abandonment of the patient's expressed wishes mid-treatment, and resulting permanent bodily harm. Oregon physicians owe patients a duty to provide treatment consistent with accepted medical standards. Substituting an antiseptic solution for anesthetic falls far below that standard. The duty intensifies when a conscious patient explicitly requests procedure termination.
The "in a rush" characterization suggests negligence compounded by prioritizing the physician's schedule over patient safety and comfort. This timing pressure, if established at trial, strengthens arguments that the doctor acted recklessly rather than through simple error. The patient's pleas to stop establish that she communicated her distress clearly, making the physician's refusal particularly troubling from both legal and ethical perspectives.
Oregon permits medical malpractice suits under comparative negligence standards. Damages typically encompass medical expenses, pain and suffering, permanent disability, and lost wages. The "severe and permanent injuries" allegation suggests liability exposure extends beyond temporary discomfort to lasting physical harm requiring future treatment.
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