Tammie Lucas died from sepsis three days after a routine medical procedure

Three days after undergoing a routine medical procedure for back pain, a Queensland mother was dead. Now, her distraught husband is suing those he believes failed in their duty of care.

A traumatised husband, who held his wife’s hand as she died from horrific complications days after undergoing a routine outpatient procedure, has filed lawsuits totalling $2.7m against a doctor and two hospitals.

Mother of two Tammie Lucas underwent a spinal radiofrequency neurotomy and caudal epidural steroid injection to target her chronic back pain on August 17, 2019.

She was discharged at 5.30pm and less than three days, later died from sepsis.

Paperwork filed in the supreme court and sighted by this publication states that during the procedure, performed by Dr Jason Scott at the Mater Private Hospital in Townsville, “Mrs Lucas’s surgical wounds were infected with the bacteria clostridium perfringens”.

Tammie Lucas died in August 2019 three days after a routine medical procedure resulted in a horrific and fast moving infection.

Her husband, Darryl Lucas is suing Dr Scott, the Mater Misericordiae Ltd and Townsville Hospital and Health Service for $840,680, plus interest and costs for breach of duty and/or negligence.

In a lawsuit filed in Mackay Supreme Court, he alleges her death caused him to suffer a psychiatric injury including post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression.

Mr Lucas, 47, and his sons Tyson, 22, and Dane, 18, Lucas have also filed a dependency claim in Rockhampton Supreme Court against the three totalling $1,885,592, plus interest and costs.

Her husband Darryl Lucas has filed lawsuits against a doctor and two hospitals over the death.

The court claim states the morning after Mrs Lucas, 43 and a heavy plant operator at Saraji coal mine, woke about 4am in their Townsville home in severe pain where the surgical procedure had been performed and Panadeine Forte had no effect.

She initially went to Townsville University Hospital arriving at 6.41am and, when she had not been admitted by 7.24am, the couple, formerly of Dysart, went instead to the Mater, arriving at 7.40am.

According to the claim, at 8.12am a Mater attending doctor phoned Dr Scott, who said pain was not uncommon after such a procedure and it could take two to three days for the nerves to desensitise.

It is further alleged pain relief was recommended and injected into the area, which had no effect – she was told as her pain could not be controlled nothing more could be done, and she would need to be taken back to Townsville University Hospital.

Mrs Lucas was being treated for chronic back pain and had been admitted for a routine day surgery.

She arrived about 11.25am in severe pain and unable to tolerate touch at the site of injection.

At 4.17pm she was given antibiotics “on the basis of there being an indication that Mrs Lucas was suffering from necrotising fasciitis”, which tests later confirmed, the claim states.

An MRI scan at 8.11pm revealed the fast-moving infection had spread from her spine to her gluteal muscles and she underwent surgery that night to remove the necrotic tissue.

The claim states a social worker told Mr Lucas about 8am on August 19 to gather his wife’s family to be with her.

Mrs Lucas underwent more surgery at 2.26pm that day to remove more necrotic tissue from her right lower back and gluteal area “which resulted in a 30 to 40cm soft tissue defect”.

At 6.26pm that night doctors told Mr Lucas his wife “would likely die from sepsis that night, but they would continue to aggressively manage her condition short of CPR or defibrillation”, the claim states.

However her surgical wound was infected with a bacteria during the operation.

Family members stayed with her through the night and about 1.20pm on August 20 “while (Mr Lucas) was holding her hand, Mrs Lucas passed away” from organ failure, the result of septic shock from the infection.

The allegations in the claim include that Dr Scott failed to ensure the theatre and wound area were kept sterile, failed to appreciate the seriousness of her condition the day after and that the Mater caused or permitted her to be infected and failed to diagnose and treat her sepsis promptly.

Mr Lucas further alleges Townsville Hospital breached Australian Triage Guidelines, failed to treat or diagnose for an infection promptly and failed to properly assess, treat or act on her symptoms on her presentation at the hospital.

This publication has contacted Dr Scott, the Mater and Townsville Hospital for comment.

None of the three have filed a response to the claims.

A Mater spokesman said the hospital “is unable to comment on this matter for legal reasons”.

THHS chief executive Kieran Keyes said the hospital was aware of the claim Mr Lucas filed but “we are unable to comment further on matters before the court”.