Joan Rivers’ Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Ends in Settlement
Almost two years ago, 81-year-old comedian and television personality Joan Rivers died during a laryngoscopy. A medical malpractice lawsuit filed against Yorkville Endoscopy by Rivers’ daughter, Melissa Rivers, claims that doctors were initially scheduled to perform a vocal-cord biopsy, a less risky procedure. Performing a laryngoscopy may have caused Rivers to go into cardiac arrest,… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice Trial
Why Patients Are at Risk of Medication Errors During Hospital Discharge
Medication errors are an increasingly common threat to patients being discharged from hospitals. Four years ago, researchers at Harvard Medical School conducted a study on medication errors and hospital discharges. Researchers used 851 hospital patients undergoing treatment for heart disease to assess the scope of the problem. Half of the patients experienced medication errors during… Read more »
Tags: HealthcareNews
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Bad News: Medical Mistakes Become the Third Leading Cause of Death in U.S.
New research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) claims medical mistakes have become the third leading cause of death in America, right behind cancer and heart disease. In a strange twist of irony, it seems hospitals may be among the most dangerous places for your health. A similar study published in 1999 discovered medical… Read more »
Tags: HealthcareNews
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Brave New Ward: Will Robots Replace Surgeons?
Robots are continuing to take more roles in our workforce, whether it be assisting drivers, factory workers or other jobs that have been historically performed by humans. In the near future, surgeons may be assisted by autonomous robots to carry out highly complex medical procedures with perfect accuracy. For almost two decades, da Vinci machines… Read more »
Tags: Medicine
Posted in Surgical Errors
Can This Family Change Florida Wrongful Death Laws?
Two weeks ago, we wrote a blog discussing the consequences of hospital overcrowding on patient safety. A recent story involving the parents of a woman who died due to hospital overcrowding can serve as further evidence for our point, but it can also show why Florida’s wrongful death laws can be perceived as unfair. The… Read more »
Tags: Healthcare
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Women Tells Nursing Class Horror Story of Incorrectly Administered Drugs
Nursing students at Penn State University were given the lecture of a lifetime by Sorrel King, a national patient safety advocate and victim of a horrific medical mistake. Sorrel’s story begins in 2001, when she lost her 18-month-old daughter at Johns Hopkins Hospital to a preventable medication error. Like many parents who have lost their… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Miami Butt Lift Surgeon Under Fire for Injuring Patients
A Miami butt lift surgeon is in hot water with the Florida Department of Health after allegedly injuring four patients. The doctor, who specializes in liposuction and Brazilian butt lifts, has disputed an attempt to revoke his medical license. Some of you may be unfamiliar with Brazilian butt lifts, so a short description is in… Read more »
Tags: PlasticSurgery
Posted in Surgical Errors
Superbug Nightmare: Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria May Kill 10 Million Per Year by 2050
World health organizations have expressed alarm at the continued spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria, also known as ‘superbugs’. In the U.S., the problem has become a major source of concern inside and outside of hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics show 23,000 Americans die from superbug infections every year. For the… Read more »
Tags: SuperBugs
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Are Overcrowded Emergency Rooms a Threat to Patient Safety?
Overcrowded emergency rooms can put patients at risk of death or injury from medical mistakes. Many of the common causes of medical mistakes, such as signoff errors, poor communication or failure to double-check work may be more likely to occur when health care providers are rushing between patients in crowded emergency rooms. Crowded emergency departments… Read more »
Tags: HospitalSafety
Posted in Medical Negligence
In Hospitals, Silence Hurts
For victims of medical mistakes and their families, emotional pain and suffering continue long after errors are made. Victims and family members may want answers, and in many cases, hospitals only offer silence. A recent Forbes article covered this subject quite well, and it shows how patients and health care providers are emotionally hurt by… Read more »
Tags: PatientRights
Posted in Medical Malpractice
