How Parents Can Protect Their Children from Pharmacy Errors
A Colorado family is warning parents across the nation to be cautious of pharmacy errors after losing their 8-year-old son. The parents have spoken to national press outlets about how a pharmacy error caused the death of their child. According to the parents, the boy had been prescribed Clonidine to treat ADHD. Clonidine is a… Read more »
Tags: Pediatrics
Posted in Medication Errors
Are Alerts and Alarms Contributing to Hospital Mistakes?
Hospitals are increasingly using electronic patient records and other technologies that can alert doctors, nurses and other staff to patient emergencies or other events. Doctors are bombarded with reminders on their smartphones, email popups to attend meetings and electronic patient records that warn of dangerous medication interactions or allergies. The alerts are so frequent that… Read more »
Tags: HospitalSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
What Types of Medical Mistakes Happen in Nursing Homes?
Nursing homes are places where the elderly and disabled can receive around-the-clock treatment. Unfortunately, some of these places can neglect patients and cause harm. In fact, a 2014 study published by Medicare’s Inspector General suggested 22,000 nursing home patients were injured in the span of one month in 2010. The report discovered 33 percent of… Read more »
Tags: AARP
Posted in Medical Negligence
Two Florida Plastic Surgeons Are Facing More than 160 Lawsuits!
More than 160 lawsuits have been filed against a Florida plastic surgery clinic for botched breast augmentation and reduction surgeries. The two surgeons operating the clinic, who are also father and son, have been accused of causing disfigurement and other health issues for patients. Some patients claimed that instead of breast reduction procedures, they received… Read more »
Tags: Miami
Posted in Surgical Errors
Hospital Horror Stories: When CT Scans Go Wrong
Computerized tomography scans, also known as CT scans, use X-ray images from different angles to give highly accurate and visual imaging of soft tissues, bones and blood vessels. This widely used diagnostic test is one of the most accurate available, but it does come with some risks. We have previously covered blogs discussing how CT… Read more »
Tags: HospitalSafety
Posted in Medical Negligence
How to Use the Internet to Pull Your Doctor’s Disciplinary History
We recently wrote a blog suggesting that medical mistakes have become the third leading cause of death in the United States, coming only behind cancer and heart disease. Although other hospital staff members are sometimes responsible for medical mistakes, it cannot hurt to check your doctor’s disciplinary history before setting up an appointment. Depending on… Read more »
Tags: Healthcare
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Can Computerized Medical Equipment Harm Patients?
Computerized medical equipment can help doctors and other hospital staff diagnose patients, carry out surgeries and keep people alive. Software is often used to turn normal tablets and PCs into high-tech medical devices. However, these devices are only as good as the people using them, for now. We can use a recent example to discuss… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
A Cautionary Tale of Plastic Surgery Gone Wrong
When we think of ‘botched plastic surgeries’, it is common to imagine disfigurement. While this is a frequent outcome of plastic surgeries gone wrong, it is not the only possible consequence. Some patients may suffer catastrophic brain injuries or lose their lives. We can learn from recent examples here in Florida. The mother of a… Read more »
Tags: Miami
Posted in Surgical Errors
Can Predatory Bacteria Halt the Spread of Superbugs?
Superbugs are antibiotic resistant bacteria that researchers suggest may kill 10 million people every year by 2050. The threat posed by superbugs is so serious that some researchers have compared it to global warming. World health organizations are calling for an ‘antibiotics revolution’ to stop the spread and development of new superbugs. Such a revolution… Read more »
Tags: HealthcareNews
Posted in Medical Malpractice