Lawsuit Alleges Sewage Leak in DC Hospital’s OR Led to Patient Death

A lawsuit filed against MedStar Washington (DC) Hospital Center alleges that sewage leaks in the facility’s operating rooms (OR) contributed to the death of a patient who underwent thyroid surgery in 2017, according to USA Today.

The lawsuit was filed by the husband of Carol Leonard, who died at the age of 70 from a postoperative infection sustained during what was supposed to be a routine procedure. According to the lawsuit, Leonard’s surgery took place five months after MedStar was cited by the District of Columbia health department for having sewage leaks in several ORs. The facility is considered the main hospital for members of Congress and the White House.

USA Today reports that hospital staff and contractors told investigators they were unaware of a leak in an OR where several patients underwent surgery last July. The leaks were called “black water” leaks, according to the health department report. The hospital was placed in immediate jeopardy of losing Medicare and Medicaid funding; it subsequently submitted a plan of correction last August and the immediate jeopardy status was removed.

The lawsuit also asks whether the hospital should have given Leonard antibiotics prior to surgery to address infection risks, and claims the hospital failed to diagnose and treat Leonard’s sepsis infection in time.