One common type of surgical error occurs before the operation is even scheduled. Like the Abraham Maslow saying "if you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail," surgeons are sometimes criticized for over-prescribing surgical fixes to medical problems. Poor patient selection may rise to the level of medical negligence if (a) the patient isn't [...]
I have previously blogged about communication errors leading to medical mistakes. We all are concerned about the quality of our healthcare and whether there has been a decrease in the quality of care. Too little attention to a patient's concerns leads to frustration and a problem with our system of medical care. As a patient [...]
Add to the obvious tragedy of medical negligence -- death, injury, disability, lost independence, lost dignity, financial ruin, etc., etc. -- another torment: guilt. Virtually every client that I have had goes through an endless round of "if only I had ...." In truth, this guilt is misplaced. No matter who you are, how smart [...]
Atrial fibrillation (or, "A Fib") is a common disorder of the heart. The incidence of A Fib increases with age. As the population ages, one projection estimates that almost 6 million people will have A Fib by 2050. One of the predominant risks of A Fib is stroke. The errant, inefficient beating of the heart associated with A Fib [...]
In my past blogs, I identified some key resources for families who are coping with brain injury. Add The Sarah Jane Brain Project to the list: http://www.thebrainproject.org/#tab-1. This foundation was started by a physician whose daughter sustained traumatic brain injury. The founding physician recognizes that no matter the cause, whether a stroke, a car crash, birth injury or an assault, [...]
The FDA expanded a recall for the SIGMA Spectrum Infusion Pump Model 35700, since additional pumps have proven defective. These pumps are used for infusion of fluids, drugs and other solutions. The defect causes the pump to "fail suddenly causing inaccurate flow conditions during use, ranging from back flow to over-infusion, including free flow." Further, "[t]he pump does not issue an alarm when [...]
Ask a medical malpractice lawyer and he or she will tell you, without hesitation, that more hospital negligence occurs on weekends and holidays than during week days. Now trial lawyers' anecdotal evidence of the hazards associated with weekend and holiday admissions is backed up by recently published medical articles. In 2001, the New England Journal of Medicine published an [...]
I just finished reading this touching article about one family's struggles with a young daughter who sustained a serious brain injury following a car accident:Bringing Andrea back from brain injury: a father's story (http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/12/12191609-bringing-andrea-back-from-brain-injury-a-fathers-story?lite). The upheaval from such an injury is tremendous. Families literally have to rethink the way that they live their lives when a loved one [...]
Recently, we have seen a number of medical malpractice cases in Ohio arising out of a physician's failure to protect a patient from consequences of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea occurs when a person experiences abnormal pauses in breathing, or abnormally low breathing, during sleep. Each pause in breathing can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may [...]
Malpractice is negligence. The fact that an injury to a patient is a known and recognized complication of medical treatment does not mean that the doctor is not legally responsible for the outcome. We frequently hear from juries and focus groups that a doctor can't be held accountable when a known complication occurs because that [...]