Prior to surgery, anxiety is normal. In fact, patients often fear the worst. What do you do if the worst happens to you? Every day, patients suffer from medical errors in New Jersey. WSPEs are among the worst. WSPEs are wrong-site, wrong-procedure, wrong-patient...
Year: 2019
Diagnostic errors: Common, costly and often catastrophic
In 2003, actor John Ritter suffered a ruptured aortic aneurysm at age 54. His physicians missed the diagnosis. They apparently failed to take a family history that might have revealed the problem. Ritter died as a result of this diagnostic failure. Providence St....
How can medical malpractice cause cerebral palsy?
Dealing with a condition like cerebral palsy is a lifetime endeavor. While ensuring that your child's special needs are catered to is difficult enough on its own, the situation is exacerbated if that condition was caused by the negligence of medical professionals....
Can members of the military sue for medical malpractice?
In the past few months, Congress has been looking at whether members of the military should be able to sue the government for medical malpractice. Since a 1950 court ruling that established the Feres Doctrine, military troops have not been able to sue for malpractice...
Medical malpractice: Communication errors can kill
The impact of miscommunication on medical services can be inconvenient at best and, in the worst-case scenarios, fatal. Whether the medical staff is noting symptoms, charting diagnostic results or preparing a patient for transfer to a different facility, communicative...
3 most common surgical errors
No matter the complexity of the surgical procedure, patients trust they will be cared for in a professional manner. Unfortunately, numerous errors can be caused by an incorrect diagnosis, poor communication or mistakes by a highly-trained surgical staff. While there...
The Prevention of adverse drug events (ADE)
In the past, we’ve discussed common adverse drug events (ADE) and the risk factors associated with them. While these ADEs can represent serious harm for patients, there are several steps that numerous medical professionals can take to ensure the health and safety of...
What is an Adverse Drug Event (ADE)?
Millions of Americans depend on medication to prevent a worsening condition, alleviate the symptoms of a disease or simply maintain daily health. Unfortunately, medication errors, adverse drug reactions, allergic reactions and overdoses are adverse drug events (ADE)...
FDA warns breast implants linked to rare form of cancer
The AP (2/7, Perrone) reports the Food and Drug Administration issued a letter warning health care professionals "to be on the lookout for a rare cancer linked to breast implants after receiving more reports of the disease." The AP adds that breast implant-associated...
Are concussion misdiagnoses common in emergency departments?
An injury that requires a trip to the emergency room is likely serious and quite concerning. When an emergency or urgent care staff fails to correctly diagnose your condition, it can lead to worsening symptoms and dramatic changes. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon...