Hospital infections were included by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) in its list of "never events." Never events are preventable complications that arise in a hospital setting. When they occur, CMS has taken the hard-line stance that it will not reimburse hospitals for costs associated with such an event. A recent article by the American [...]
As you know from our blog, medical malpractice takes many forms and occurs for many reasons. We have previously reported on how the medical community is slow to adapt to changes in behavioral patterns of the population that impact the incidence of certain medical conditions. For example, we reported earlier how the obesity epidemic is increasing [...]
Heart attacks remain one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Much attention has been given to prevention of heart attacks through diet, exercise and smoking cessation. Despite these efforts, heart attacks still happen in abundance. More attention is needed on what to do when a heart attack happens. The key to surviving heart [...]
Children with special needs caused by birth related injuries, vaccinations, congenital or developmental disorders need ongoing assistance. At Mishkind Kulwicki Law we represent parents that have experienced the tragedy of having their newborn child suffer permanent injury to their brain due to a lack of oxygen, trauma or other neurological events. It is important that [...]
Over 12,000 new cases of cervical cancer occur in the U.S. each year. About 4,000 women die annually from the disease. In an effort to improve timely diagnosis of the disease, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published updated guidelines on cervical cancer screening. These guidelines parallel recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American [...]
Emergency medicine has become an important profit center for hospitals. Not only does emergency care itself produce income for hospitals, but dedicated emergency departments are critical magnets for patients who will be admitted for lucrative testing and treatments. As with other areas of medicine, the profit motive in emergency care can lead to dangerous decisionmaking. In this regard, care providers [...]
Nursing homes are inspected on a regular basis. Depending on the outcome of a given inspection, you or your loved ones may be at increased risk of experiencing avoidable injuries, if the nursing home has failed to demonstrate competency in a given area of patient care and has failed to comply with state and national [...]
At Mishkind Kulwicki Law, we are interested in cases involving children. A recent medical journal reports on one disturbing trend that is likely to result in a lawsuit. The journal Pediatrics reports that about one-half of children with autism wander away from caregivers often putting themselves in harm's way. Wandering (or elopement) by autistic children puts [...]
In emergency medicine, triage nurses perform a critical function. When a patient arrives at the ER, the triage nurse is the first skilled provider to see them. "Triage" means "the medical screening of patients to determine relative priority of for treatment." The triage nurse is vested with responsibility for determining patients' acuity, the chief presenting complaint and, [...]
The American Heart Association announced that Monday, October 29th is World Stroke Day, "a day dedicated to educating communities around the world about the risks, signs and symptoms of stroke." Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Stroke is also a leading cause of long-term disability and a major contributor to healthcare [...]