Blog: Medical Malpractice
- Surgical Fires: A Threat to Patient Safety in the Operating Room
Mar 9, 2016
Surgical fires, though rare, can kill or severely burn patients undergoing a medical procedure. These preventable fires are the result of the negligence of health care providers in various settings ranging from hospitals to urgent care centers to doctor’s offices. The patient safety organization Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) has estimated that 200 to 240 surgical fires occur each year in the United States, while the FDA estimates as many as 650. A fire can ignite...Read More - 4 Types of Brachial Plexus Injuries During Birth
Mar 7, 2016
A newborn can suffer nerve damage when his or her shoulder gets stuck behind the mother’s pubic bone during birth. If the delivering physician fails to recognize and respond to this condition, called shoulder dystocia, the infant can sustain nerve injuries ranging from mild to permanent. Call a birth injury attorney at Anapol Weiss if you believe your child suffered during delivery as a result of neglect from doctors and medical staff. The brachial plexus nerves...Read More - Preventing Surgical Instruments from Being Forgotten Inside Patients
Mar 4, 2016
A surgical object mistakenly left inside a patient is a medical emergency that can lead to death or permanent health problems. Shockingly, surgical instruments are left inside patients thousands of times every year in the United States. Surgical sponges account for nearly 70 percent of items left inside patients. Other items commonly found on post-op X-rays include: retractors, sharp objects such as needles, blades and scalpels, towels and other textiles, clamps, guide wires, scissors and more...Read More - 6 Steps to Take After Being Informed of an Infection Control Breach
Mar 4, 2016
More than 200 patients were recently notified that they may have been exposed to HIV or hepatitis B or C at Shore Medical Center in New Jersey. Sadly, infection control breaches continue to happen in hospitals across the country, and patients are left with unexpected health problems they never expected to happen. Below are six steps patients should take if they receive a letter from any hospital about possible infection exposure. 1. Get tested right away. Set up...Read More - Women and Heart Disease: Timely Diagnosis is Critical
Mar 1, 2016
Some study findings about the prevalence and diagnosis of heart conditions in women may underscore the failure of physicians to appreciate and recognize that women’s complaints are heart-related. Cardiovascular disease, typically manifesting as a myocardial infarction (blockage of one or more of the coronary vessels that supply blood to the heart, commonly referred to as a heart attack) is the leading cause of death in the United States, causing more deaths more than all cancers combined...Read More - Bacterial Meningitis Misdiagnosis: What It Means for Patients
Feb 25, 2016
Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency that requires timely diagnosis and proper medical treatment to prevent death or permanent injury. Diagnosing bacterial meningitis often involves testing the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Imaging tests such as a CT-scan may help diagnose the disease by showing inflammation in the head, and an x-ray of the chest or sinuses may indicate the presence of an infection. Bacterial meningitis can be...Read More - Five Things Patients Can Do to Help Prevent a Medication Error
Feb 16, 2016
Since 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received more than 95,000 reports of medication errors, which include any preventable event that may lead to inappropriate medication use or harm to a patient. There are a variety of reasons medication errors occur, including: Miscommunication of drug orders Poor handwriting on prescriptions Confusion of similarly named drugs Poor packaging design Confusion of dosing units How can patients avoid falling victim to a dangerous medication error? The FDA offers a few simple...Read More - Focusing on Heart Attack Misdiagnosis during American Heart Month
Feb 12, 2016
February is American Heart Month, and a reminder for everyone to act as their own medical advocate with regard to their heart health. About 735,000 Americans have a heart attack every year, and about 15 percent of those people will die from it. A person’s chance of surviving a heart attack increases if emergency treatment is administered as soon as possible, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sadly, one in 50 people...Read More - The Life-Threatening Consequences of a Cancer Misdiagnosis
Feb 5, 2016
A cancer diagnosis is devastating. Unfortunately, patients’ lives and well-being are put in even more danger when a physician fails to diagnose cancer in a timely or correct manner. Treatment is then delayed, which can cost a patient his or her life. Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis The chance of survival is highest when breast cancer is detected at an early stage. Women often do not experience symptoms early on, so it’s the duty of their doctors to find...Read More - Medication Errors Resulting from Pharmacy Mistakes
Jan 8, 2016
Millions of people trust pharmacists every day to fill their medications, but adults and children have been killed by pharmacy errors after being sent home with the incorrect drug or dose. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are sometimes pressured to move quickly in order to fill a long list of prescriptions. Unfortunately, it’s the unsuspecting patients who suffer the consequences when pharmacy errors result from too much haste. Prescription Interaction Problems Interactions between medications can be dangerous and sometimes...Read More