52-year-old John Michael Murdoch had a form of tongue cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. He went to Oregon Health and Science University for treatment—one that ended with his face catching fire just as surgery was getting underway.
Murdoch was having a breathing tube inserted into his throat. To prepare him for the procedure, his face was sterilized with isopropyl alcohol. The alcohol wasn’t allowed to dry fully before one of the surgeons fired up a surgical tool that created a spark, which ignited the alcohol, engulfing Murdoch’s face in flames.
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The worst part? He was “awake and conscious” during the whole thing.
Man’s Face Catches on Fire During Surgery
Murdoch’s cancer took his life six months later. The final months of his life were made all the more miserable by the severe burns and scarring on his face.
His widow, Toni Murdoch, sued Oregon Health and Science University, with 10 surgical staff involved in the lawsuit. The lawsuit seeks $900,000 in damages, alleging that the incident was preventable. It also says that the surgical tool that sparked the fire was reported to have a history of sending off sparks.
The lawsuit refers to an operating room condition called a “fire triangle”—the combination of oxygen, fuel, and an ignition source that can be potentially dangerous in a surgical setting. The lawsuit claims that the operating room conditions were unsafe and that staff failed to mitigate these risks, ultimately leading to Murdoch’s suffering.
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