Medical Malpractice

• Cancer Pathology Testing Only 88.2% Accurate

  Bob Carroll | December 07, 2005 5:14 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Important decisions are made on the basis of cancer pathology tests. Apparently, 11.8% of those decisions would be wrong. A review of cancer diagnoses from pathology tests at four hospitals found that up to 11.8% were in error, according to a study in the Nov. 15 issue of the journal Cancer. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine said because of the variety of detection...

• Check Out Hospitals Online

  Bob Carroll | November 09, 2005 8:24 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Florida health officials have launched a Web site aimed at showing the public how well hospitals take care of their patients. The site has so much traffic that it is showing a busy sign for many who attempt to visit. But, the St. Pete Times article concerning the site tells us some of what can be found there. The site can be found at www.floridacomparecare.gov.Excerpts from the article:State...

• Spiders Or Staphs? A Misdiagnosis Can Be Deadly

  Bob Carroll | November 01, 2005 4:03 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Illinois personal injury lawyer T. Evan Schaeffer posts about a rews article that reminds us doctors need to be current in their diagnositic skills. Serious staph infections erroneously called spider bites are not being treated promptly enough.Illinois personal injury lawyer T. Evan Schaeffer posts about a news article that reminds us doctors need to be current in their diagnositic skills. ...

• Brittle Bone Disease Caused Fractures But Father Wrongly Accused Of Abuse

  Bob Carroll | October 27, 2005 5:17 AM | 1 CommentTampa Bay, FL

  The headlines report: Parents Get $1 Million in False Abuse Case and Judge Apologizes for Officials' Failure to Recognize Girl's Brittle Bone Disorder. But, reading the full article in the Washington Post will break your heart. Bullheadedness by doctors (and prosecutors) can cause good people and their families unbelievable grief.The headlines report the final chapter: Parents Get $1 Million...

• Patient Erupts In Flames During Operation

  Bob Carroll | October 26, 2005 10:17 PM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  The hospital spokesman calls it an "unfortunate and highly unusual occurrence." The patient's attorney says the patient awoke with her face and neck in flames. That is definitely unusual during a lymph-node biopsy. The allegation is that it was an anesthesiologist's negligence during the surgery.The hospital spokesman calls it an "unfortunate and highly unusual occurrence." The patient's...

• Marijuana Use By Malpractice Victim Wrongly Made Focus Of Doctor's Defense

  Bob Carroll | October 24, 2005 11:39 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Why wiould the defense attorney in a medical malpractice trial spend any time talking about marijuana use by the patient/victim? Maybe because character assasination of claimants has been known to work. Maybe a Florida appellate court has caught on to the ploy.The character of the patient should rarely be a defense in a medical malpractice case because even a bad guy is entitled to good...

• Robots In The Operating Room - What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us

  Bob Carroll | October 14, 2005 2:24 PM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Robot-assisted surgery is here. Even if it is an improvement over human surgical techniques, how much information do patients need before their consent to the use of a robot is truly informed consent? Is there something different about a surgeon's decision to perform robot-assisted surgery?They may have a terrible bedside manner but, apparently, they can be terrific in the operating room. ...

• Walgreens Own Numbers Show Workloads Exceed Patient Safety Threshold

  Bob Carroll | October 09, 2005 9:44 PM | 2 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Tthe National Pharmacists Association released a report that may explain why so many prescription errors are occurring. The title of the report: Pharmacists routinely pushed beyond what they consider safe for patients. The risk of error rises along with the number of prescriptions filled per hour. This summer the National Pharmacists Association released a report that may explain why so many...

• Can Computers Reduce Prescription Errors?

  Bob Carroll | October 09, 2005 6:37 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Health Care Systems Reducing Prescription Errors. The article is promising. But there is a downside to the use of technology in prescriptions. It inroduces some risk of other errors in the processing of prescriptions. As long as humans are part of the prescribing and prescription-filling process there will be errors that go undetected. The headline sounds positive: Health Care Systems...

• Patient Safety, Medical Errors - The North & South Poles In The World Of Medicine

  Bob Carroll | October 08, 2005 1:40 PM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Two opposite forces often determine whether a bad result occurs during medical care. These forces (or poles) are the concepts of patient safety and medical errors. As many as 44,000 to 98,000 persons die in US hospitals each year as a result of medical errors.Two opposite forces often determine whether a bad result occurs during medical care. These forces (or poles) are the concepts of...