When you have the wrong medication, or it adversely interacts with another prescription you are taking, you could get sick—or worse.  According to a new study, in addition to contributing to patient injury and death, poor medication management increases the already high cost of healthcare. As individuals, we want to know that we are doing … Continued

Your child has a terrible stomach ache.  You have a busy day and since you are near a retail medical care office, you drop in instead of going to your doctor or even the Emergency Department. Your child gets some antibiotics and seems to feel better.  Everything seems fine until their appendix ruptures two days … Continued

A new device may speed the diagnosis of sepsis and save lives. According to research from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), sepsis affects over one million people per year in the US, and about a quarter of those patients will die.  Sepsis is not a disease, but a reaction by the immune system to an infectious … Continued

Can feeding the fire of an overcharged immune system save the lives of patients in septic shock? Sepsis is a condition where a violent attack, called a “cytokine storm,” is released by the immune system on an infection.  Unfortunately, the immune attack often kills the patient, too.  In recent years, the Centers for Disease Control … Continued

A non-invasive imaging technique offers insight into the level of recovery possible after a spinal cord injury. Within the bony spinal column rests the spinal cord.  As the freeway that exits the brain and provides the body with the ability to move, sense, and feel, the spinal cord is the primary pathway of the nervous … Continued

It is not unusual to have vivid dreams during surgery, but when dreams become lucid awareness, surgery can become a nightmare. Becoming conscious during a surgical procedure is called “intraoperative awareness” or “anesthesia awareness.”  According to the Mayo Clinic, about one or two people in every 10,000 surgeries is partially awake during their procedure.  Muscle … Continued

A new report offers information on the injuries suffered by personnel who worked at the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba. From late 2016 until August, 2017, government workers in Havana began to complain of medical symptoms that could not readily be explained.  According to a recently published report in the Journal of the American Medical … Continued

Tired of price manipulation and shortages, a consortium of US healthcare providers plans to manufacture, or contract for manufacture, the specific generic drugs it needs for its patients. With about 300 organizations signed on, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the group has tentative plans to produce about 20 generic drugs that were volatile in … Continued

Aortic aneurysm leading to dissection is always a medical emergency, and a failure by medical personnel to recognize the condition cost a Utah man his life. On November 6, 2011, a 55-year old transit worker, Keith Wilcox, went to an urgent care facility complaining of chest and back pain. Diagnosed with constipation and discharged, Mr. … Continued

After their introduction in 1991, power morcellators quickly became the tool of choice for removal of uterine fibroids in women.  Although the device is still in use, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently reaffirmed its warning about an increased cancer risk associated with the devices. In 2013, 40-year old Dr. Amy Reed underwent … Continued

In January 2018, 156 women gave testimony during the sentencing hearing of convicted sex offender and former physician at Michigan State University (MSU), Larry Nassar.  Now, 140 of these women have complained in federal court that, as his employer, MSU bears legal responsibility for their injuries. Although he still faces sentencing in another case, Larry … Continued

When you visit a healthcare facility or Emergency Department for medical care, the last thing you expect is to come away from the experience worse than you went in. Unfortunately, falls in the hospital are common and often result in serious or even fatal injury. Across the US, between 700,000 and one million patients fall … Continued

Everyone makes mistakes—but healthcare providers hold life and death in their hands.  While some minor errors are perhaps inevitable, serious, shocking medical mistakes should never occur. In 2001, Dr. Ken Kizer coined the term “Never Event,” as a description for extraordinarily severe medical mistakes that should never happen.  Never Events may also be referred to … Continued

We trust doctors with two of our most valuable assets – our health and our lives. When tackling the challenging task of choosing the right physician, a comprehensive look at their professional history can be extremely useful. There are numerous resources available for obtaining information about past medical malpractice complaints or disciplinary actions. Finding them just takes a little research and effort. The state licensing board Every state … Continued

The doctor-patient relationship does not always end when the patient leaves the office or hospital. Under some circumstances, adequate medical services require that the physician follow-up with the patient to ensure their well-being and provide additional treatment when necessary. When a doctor fails to meet this responsibility, the patient may face further complications or even … Continued

When you check into a hospital, you expect to receive care that will treat your medical condition and improve your health. Yet, for thousands of patients each year, a trip to the hospital can result in a potentially fatal condition. Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that causes the air sacs in one or both lungs … Continued

Millions of people rely on medication to treat dangerous medical conditions and maintain their health. The pharmaceutical industry is worth billions of dollars, as drug companies quickly work to come up with new drugs to treat every type of medical condition. Unfortunately, the race to get a medication to market sometimes outweighs safety, resulting in … Continued

When we bring a medical malpractice claim against a healthcare provider, we are alleging that his or her behavior fell below the “medical standard of care.” If the provider fell below that standard, it is considered negligence and the provider may be found liable for damages. Elements to Prove Negligence A discussion of standard of care … Continued

You may not realize it, but when you filled out intake forms at a hospital or a doctor’s office, you may have signed a form agreeing to arbitrate a medical malpractice claim instead of taking the case to a jury trial. Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution designed to avoid the courtroom. Your … Continued

It happens in many different ways. A radiologist fails to give imaging test results to a primary care physician. A nurse didn’t tell a doctor the patient experienced increasing pain during a hospital stay. A hospital fails to provide the treating doctor with lab test results. Communication breakdowns happen all too frequently in our healthcare … Continued

Emergency rooms are busy and hectic places. This sentiment is particularly true in bustling metropolitan areas like Washington D.C. and Baltimore. Under stressed circumstances, hospital staff members could feel the pressure to discharge a patient before they are medically ready. Releasing a patient without a thorough examination and without proper clearance increases the risk of … Continued

When you leave the hospital, either after surgery, an admission, or ER visit, you should leave with a set of discharge instructions. These written directions provide crucial information about your post-hospital care. Unfortunately, discharge instructions can be unclear to the patient, or hospital staff members may neglect to properly explain the instructions. Vague discharge instructions … Continued