J. H.,

Plaintiff,

vs

Joubin Khorsand, M.D.,

Paul R. Kasdan, D.P.M.,

Advocate Health &

Hospitals Corporation d/b/a

Lutheran General Hospital,

Defendants.In her medical malpractice lawsuit filed on February 8, 2001, Mrs. H, a steroid dependent rheumatoid arthritis sufferer, claimed that after being referred by her family physician to Dr. Khorsand on March 15, 1999, for the surgical removal of two cysts on her buttocks on March 25, 1999, one of which was allegedly known to be infected with methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Dr. Khorsand, among other things, allegedly failed to prescribe appropriate pre and post surgical antibiotics, disregarded repeated reports from Advocate Home Health Care Services nursing personnel that her surgical wounds were not responding to treatment and also misdiagnosed her surgical wounds as being healed on September 16, 1999. Allegedly, she was also told by the wound management department at Lutheran General Hospital that they were healed. Also, on April 26, 1999, she underwent treatment by podiatrist Kasdan for an infected abscess on her first left toe and continued treatment over the next several months for it because it would not heal. Allegedly, Dr. Kasdan failed to obtain cultures and gram stains, prescribed Cipro instead of Vancomycin without taking into consideration that Cipro might be the wrong antibiotic to combat MRSA and also failed to obtain an infectious disease consult.

Allegedly, she developed bacteremia (bacterial blood infection) that spread to her left shoulder and both knees (that had been previously replaced) which resulted in many hospitalizations at Lutheran General between September 27, 1999 through May 27, 2000, and the amputation of both legs above-the-knees on April 28, 2000.

Allegedly, she was also told by many treating doctors that it was because of her pre-existing rheumatoid arthritis that she developed septic arthritis first in her left shoulder and then in her knees but not that it could have been caused by the infections from her buttocks and foot.

On June 2, 2003, this suit was settled for a total of $2,400,000. Dr. Khorsand for $1,000,000, Dr. Kasdan for $150,000 and Advocate Lutheran General Hospital for an additional $1,250,000.