How Are Superbugs Created?
Superbugs are bacteria that have grown resistant to antibiotics and other treatments. Another name for superbugs is hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Doctors attempting to treat superbugs might be helpless to stop them from spreading in patients. What are superbugs and how are they created? Superbugs include bacterium such as CRE (carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae), MRSA (Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus)… Read more »
Tags: SuperBugs
Posted in Medical Malpractice
How Do Medication Errors Happen?
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials have issued a warning over confusion on an antidepressant and blood-thinning medication with similar names. According to the FDA, they have received 50 reports of medication errors involving Brintellix and Brilinta. Many of the cases reported to the FDA were over concerns about the similarity of the names and… Read more »
Tags: Brintellix
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Can Patients Access The Records Of Doctors?
Last week, we wrote about a ProPublica report on surgeon complication rates being released to the public. Patients should always make informed choices when selecting physicians, surgeons or other health care practitioners. Fortunately, there are a few ways to do this depending on location. Many states, including Florida, have medical boards that issue state licenses… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Is Robotic Surgery Safe?
Researchers affiliated with the Rush University Medical Center, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois Medical Center have released a report detailing surgery deaths caused by malfunctioning robots. According to the researchers, 144 patients have been killed by robotic equipment during surgery from 2000 to 2013. In addition to surgery deaths, more… Read more »
Tags: SurgeryMistakes
Posted in Medical Malpractice
How Do Medical Malpractice Attorneys Select Cases?
When patients receive care in hospitals, they should have the expectation to not be harmed by their doctors. However, “never events” cause 200,000 deaths in the United States annually. A never event is a term used to describe a medical mistake that should have never happened. In cases where patients are killed or severely injured… Read more »
Tags: MedicalNegligence
Posted in Medical Malpractice
How Can Hospitals Improve Patient Safety?
What can get hospitals a poor ranking with LeapFrog? The non-profit looks at evidence-based safety measures in place at hospitals, events reported by the institutions and patient readmission rates. However, there are ways to prevent medical mistakes and improve hospital safety. Which Four Methods Can Improve Hospital Safety? According to The Agency for Healthcare Research… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Disinfecting Robots Used To Fight Hospital-Acquired Infections
Some hospitals are using robots equipped with xenon lights to disinfect rooms and reduce infections. The germ eliminating machines, known as Xenex robots, use full-spectrum, pulsing xenon lights to disinfect rooms. Deadly ultraviolet light is released from the robots to kill bacteria and viruses. Prior models of germ killing robots used bulbs with mercury, a… Read more »
Tags: MRSA Hospital Infections
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Report Allows Patients To Look Up Surgeon Records
When undergoing complex surgical procedures, it is important patients select the right doctor. A report by ProPublica has found that 11 percent of surgeons account for 25 percent of complications during surgery, suggesting patients might not always be as safe as they believe. Many surgeons with poor safety records had complication rates two to three… Read more »
Tags: SurgeryMistakes
Posted in Surgical Errors
Research Finds 23 Percent Of Hospitals Neglect Hand Sanitation
A new survey by the hospital watchdog organization The Leapfrog Group has found that 23 percent of hospitals across the country have not yet implemented safe hand sanitation practices. The study found that almost one-quarter of hospitals surveyed had not implemented policies capable of stopping the spread of potentially fatal bacteria. The policies used as… Read more »
Tags: MedicalNegligence
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Infant Surgery Deaths Leads To Calls For Better Regulations
Earlier in May, there were reports from national and local media outlets that nine children died in heart surgery at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Florida. Now, doctors and other health care professionals are calling for more oversight into hospitals with high-risk surgery programs. According to a criticized CNN report, the mortality rate for open-heart… Read more »
Tags: SurgeryMistakes
Posted in Medical Malpractice
