Report Finds Surgery Mistakes Have Harmed Hundreds of Florida Patients
The Florida Department of Health is filing a complaint against a Florida doctor who allegedly performed a wrong-site surgery on a patient. According to the complaint, the doctor operated on the wrong vertebra of a 77-year-old man. The man spent two weeks in a rehabilitation center recovering from injuries caused by the surgery. Similar preventable… Read more »
Tags: TampaBay
Posted in Medical Negligence
How Are Families Affected by Medical Mistakes?
Medical mistakes can severely affect the lives of patients and their families. It would be unfair to suggest that only the patients suffer when errors are made by doctors or hospitals. Some of these errors can cause severe disabilities, meaning parents, siblings, significant others or children are tasked with providing round-the-clock care. The costs of… Read more »
Tags: HospitalSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Can Doctors Be Sued for Patient Suicides?
The Florida Supreme Court is allowing a case involving a 55-year-old woman who committed suicide in 2008 while under the care of her physician to move forward. In 2008, the woman contacted her doctor’s office and described symptoms such as crying spells, mental strain and gastrointestinal issues. Once the doctor learned of this information from… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Does Your Child Have This Commonly Misdiagnosed Illness?
Cat owners beware, your precious kitty could be responsible for spreading a dangerous bacterial infection to yourself or family members. The bacteria, Bartonella henselae, is passed between cats and fleas. Bartonella henselae can build up in the mouths and on the paws of cats when they groom themselves. When pet owners develop illness caused by… Read more »
Tags: Pediatrics
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Did a C-Section Mistake Cause Your Child’s Birth Injury?
Centers for Disease Control statistics show that 1.2 million cesarean section (C-section) deliveries are performed in the United States every year. In some cases, doctors make mistakes while performing C-sections, causing injuries to mothers or their children. C-section mistakes can cause brain injuries in newborns and infections in mothers. A doctor can cause a C-section… Read more »
Tags: Pregnancy
Posted in Birth Injury
Medical Mistakes You Won’t Believe: An Organ Transplant Gone Wrong
Organ transplants are used to give dying patients a second chance at life. However, sometimes the unthinkable occurs and transplant errors take lives. A transplant error in 2003 gained national attention and led to changes on how these surgeries are conducted. In 2003, Duke University admitted that it used the incorrect organs during a heart… Read more »
Tags: Surgery
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Watch Your Step, Falls in Hospitals Hurt Thousands of Patients Annually
Did you know falls are one of the top patient safety threats in hospitals? Statistics gathered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) show that thousands of hospital patients are injured in falls every year. One-third of hospital falls are preventable. In some cases, hospitals do not take the necessary steps to prevent… Read more »
Tags: HospitalSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Can Robots Transform Hospital Safety?
Robots are being used in healthcare settings to prevent pharmacy mistakes, assist with surgery and to diagnose illnesses. In many cases, robots perform these tasks more accurately than human beings. It seems possible robots can make hospitals safer. Read on to learn more about how robots or artificial intelligence have been used to prevent medical… Read more »
Tags: HospitalSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
What Can Happen to Patients When Surgeons Remove the Wrong Body Part?
Wrong-site surgeries can involve surgeons who remove the wrong body part. A story published by the Los Angeles Times provides a perfect example of how removing the wrong body part can haunt patients for the rest of their lives. In 2006, a 47-year-old Air Force veteran and married father of four was scheduled at West Los… Read more »
Tags: Surgery
Posted in Surgical Errors
What Happens When Sponges Are Left Inside of Patients?
Data gathered by the National Center for Health Statistics suggests 5,500 to 7,000 patients have foreign objects left behind after surgery each year. Surgical sponges are one of the worst objects that can be left behind, as they cause excruciating pain and deadly infections. A Los Angeles woman’s horrifying story can serve as an example…. Read more »
Tags: MedicalErrors
Posted in Surgical Errors
