VALLEY ROUNDUP : Northridge : Boy Who Died May Have Had Gangrene

A 13-year-old boy who died at Northridge Hospital Medical Center after being rushed there for emergency care may have been suffering from gangrene, Los Angeles County health officials said Thursday.

The painful condition occurs when disease or injury cuts off the blood supply to a part of the body, causing it to decay. That could indicate the boy, who died Monday, was suffering for some time before medical treatment was sought, officials said.

The boy, who was not identified, was initially brought to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Santa Clarita in dire condition, according to Maria Yakabo of the county Department of Heath Services. “We were told that he was in septic shock,” she said.

The boy was resuscitated and then flown by helicopter Sunday night to Northridge Hospital, where he underwent surgery, Yakabo said. During the operation it was determined one of his legs might be gangrenous.

Northridge Hospital spokesman Barry Ginsbarg said he could not confirm the boy was suffering from gangrene. The hospital had ordered an autopsy, he said, to determine cause of death.

“He had a number of symptoms going on,” Ginsbarg said, “so it’s difficult to tell what killed him. It could take a month to get final results.”