Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog

Five former patients of a urology center filed a medical malpractice lawsuit, alleging that the facility improperly used medical supplies on multiple patients, potentially exposing them to danger illnesses. According to a report, the center contacted 5700 patients to warn them of a risk of blood borne illnesses and suggested they get tested because the center misused single-use supplies. Five of the patients contacted filed the lawsuit together, claiming that the center knew this practice was improper but continually reused supplies anyway. To read more about this medical malpractice lawsuit click on the link.

A pediatric resident has scared three different Chicago hospitals after being diagnosed with tuberculosis. Thus far, there have been no detections of the tuberculosis spreading. The Chicago Department of Public Health claims this is a good sign that the bacterial disease had not spread. This does not mean the scare is over. Tuberculosis can take up to ten weeks to be detected, according to the article. Patients are being contacted for screening who may have come in contact with the infected pediatric resident.

Read more about the TB hospital scare here.

A previous army nurse, who at the time was currently working as a civilian, at an Army hospital allegedly infected at least 15 patients with hepatitis C. The allegedly negligent nurse poured medication into an infected container he brought from home for patients. The nurse is facing 20 years in prison if convicted.

Read more about the alleged medical infection here.

A jury ordered a hospital to pay $5.8 million in a medical malpractice case to an anesthesiologist who suffered serious infection after having back surgery. The doctor was a staff member of the hospital where the surgery took place. The medical malpractice lawsuit claimed that his surgeons used instruments that were not properly sterilized and the surgery site became infected as a result of this negligence. The plaintiff had to have five additional surgeries as a result of this hospital-borne infection. His attorneys also noted that he would be on pain medicine for the rest of his life and would work less because of this hospital’s negligence.

To read more about this case of medical negligence follow the link.

A man won $17.5 million in a medical malpractice suit against a doctor who failed to treat him correctly after contracting MRSA. The plaintiff contracted the hospital borne infection after having ulcer surgery. Due to the doctor’s failure to treat his infection with proper antibiotics, the man lost both his arms and legs from the MRSA infection.

Due to state medical malpractice caps, the plaintiff only received $250,000.

Read more about the MRSA medical malpractice lawsuit here.

An Illinois man died weeks after having brain surgery five years ago at Mayo Clinic. His widow filed a medical malpractice suit against both Mayo and the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery. The widow’s attorney claims they will be aiming for over 4.5 million dollars in damages. The widow alleges there was a cerebral spinal leak during surgery which caused her husband infection, meningitis, and ultimately death. She alleges through the neurosurgeon failure to take proper precautions to prevent the complications.

For the full story, click here.

A mom lost her limbs during a horrific hospital stay is making great progress in using her artificial legs. The woman lost all four limbs and much of her eyesight to medical malpractice at a hospital. She was sent home from the emergency room with only painkillers for a kidney stone. When the condition worsened, medics failed to take her back to the hospital, causing her to develop sepsis. She awoke from a two week coma partially blind with gangrene ravaging her body. The woman is suing both the hospital and emergency service for medical malpractice. To read the full story, click here.

A medical malpractice lawsuit claims that doctors at a hospital left a five-inch catheter inside a man’s heart, causing an infection that complicated his fight against cancer, then tried to cover up the mistake. The man says that the hospital should have known that a catheter being used to treat his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma had broken off from a port in his chest after he began treatment. The catheter became a “time bomb” when it lodged in his heart and caused an infection which permanently damaged the organ. The medical center arranged for an operation to extract the catheter through his next and groin. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for negligence, medical malpractice, fraud and battery. The medical malpractice suit accuses the doctor of knowing the about the broken catheter “substantially before” the date the doctors claim to have discovered the device. The medical malpractice lawsuit also states that the doctor promoted surgery at the same hospital “in an attempt to extract the incriminating evidence” To read the full story, click here.

An infection called “C. diff” has been plaguing hospitals nationwide and some people are blaming the scrubs that the hospital staff wear. A national hospital survey has warned that C. diff infections are sickening half a million people a year. Some hospitals have gone as far as to prohibit scrubs outside the building. This is in response to a study which shows that 65% of medical personnel change their lab coat less than once a week, though they are aware that it’s contaminated. Superbugs such as staph can live on the polyester coats for up to 56 days. C. diff has caused healthy patients who go into hospital for elective surgery to die, because it is hard to control outside of the hospital. Hospitals should launder scrubs for all staff and prohibit them from wearing scrubs outside the building in order to combat this problem. To read the full story, click here.

Heath care professionals failure to follow basic infection practices placed more than 60,000 American patients at risk for hepatitis B and C. A study concluded that health care personnel in settings outside hospitals failed to follow basic infection control practices. Reuse of syringes and blood-contamination of medications, equipment and devices have been identified as the most common factors. Studies reveal that in the past 10 years there have been 33 identified outbreaks of HBV and HCV in 112 outpatient clinics, 6 hemodialysis centers and 15 long-term care facilities. This study found that 450 people acquired hepatitis infections as the result of health care personnel. Unfortunately, thousands of patients are exposed to viral hepatitis and other preventable diseases in the places where they should feel safe. To read the full story, click here.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are on the rise according to a new study that has looked at the incidence rates of common hospital acquired infections nationwide. The most common hospital infections are related to urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections and infections after surgery. Hospital infections can cause a hospital patient injuries and in extreme cases even hospital patients death. The statistics on this hospital infection study can be found in detail by clicking here.
Hospital acquired infections should be on the radar of hospital staff, nurses and patients. To learn more about preventing hospital injuries from such infections watch this video. Levin & Perconti is not responsible for the content and manufacture of this video; this video was obtained via YouTube.

A physician who practices out of an Endoscopy Center has been hit with a medical malpractice complaint by the state’s board of medical examiners. The former gastroenterologist faces four medical malpractice allegations relating to the care he was provided to patients. Officials believe that one of the patient’s hepatitis C was transmitted to seven others. Medical malpractice complaints have already been filed against the clinic’s majority owner as well, and their licenses have been suspended pending an investigation. The allegation is that it was the physician treating the source patient that led to the other patients acquiring hepatitis C later that day. Claims of medical malpractice against the doctor focused on treatment of not only that first patient, who underwent a colonoscopy, but on a patient the doctor treated later in the day. The medical board complained that the doctor failed to exercise proper skill and diligence and that he brought the reputation of the medical profession into disrepute. It is believed that the reuse of syringes in a manner that contaminated multiple vials of anesthesia used for more than one patient led to the transmission of hepatitis C. The state board is investigating whether this has contributed to a widespread outbreak of hepatitis C. To read the full story, click here.

Claims based on hospital infections are becoming the focus of many medical malpractice suits. Recently a jury awarded $13.5 million in a medical malpractice case to the family of woman who died of an infection caused by flesh-eating bacteria that she contracted during cancer treatment. Then a woman reached a $16 million medical malpractice settlement alleging that the hospital failed to detect necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacteria, before and after she gave birth which caused her to lose three limbs and several organs. The Centers for Disease Control has estimated that more than 2 million hospital-aquired infections occur annually which results in 90,000 deaths. However, the rate of patient infection is “close to zero” when health care personnel comply with strict protocols governing the washing of hands, instruments and hospital rooms. The CDC is responding to this epidemic by raising the standard of care that applies to hospitals in preventing infections. For example, an ambulance IV should be switched to a new one upon arrival at the hospital. By following these guidelines, a hospital can decrease its risk of medical malpractice lawsuits. To read the full story, click here.

A 33 year old woman recently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the University of Chicago Medical Center alleging she contracted HIV and Hepatitis C after receiving a kidney transplant. According to the lawsuit, the woman claims U of C failed to warn her that her donor was a gay man with multiple sexual partners. Lawyers for the transplant patient claim the hospital was negligent, because it knew the donor engaged in homosexual activity, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention label “high risk behavior.” Had she been informed of the high risks associated with a gay donor, the patient states she would not have received the transplant. Since the negligent transplant, the woman has rejected the new kidney and has stopped working because of her illness. Three other patients who received organs from the same donor have also tested positive for HIV. To read the full story, click here.

A report shows that a germ that wreaks havoc in people’s guts is infecting hospital patients at a much higher rate than had been previously estimated. The study found that slightly more than 1 in every 100 hospital patients are struck by Clostridium difficle which is commonly referred to as C. diff. The bacterium can cause severe diarrhea nausea and abdominal pain and sometimes can lead to colon failure or even death. Experts suggest that we need programs to improve cleanliness and hand-washing by hospital staff. Additionally there should be better control over antibiotics that can increase susceptibility to infections. The study was conducted by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and was done in 648 hospitals in 47 states. It found that 13 out of every 1,000 patients in the hospital either had C. diff infections or carried the bug on their bodies. This figure is 6.5 times higher than previous estimates. C diff. spores can live on heard surfaces for weeks or month and resists every-contaminant except bleach. A problem is that the alcohol-based hand gels now omnipresent in hospitals aren’t effective against C. diff spores. Additionally, hospitals are failing to identify patients hit by C. diff. One patient lost 55 pounds in four moths as antibiotics failed to control her diarrhea from C. diff. To read the full story, click here.

A medical malpractice lawsuit filed as a result of unsafe medical malpractice practices that caused over 100 people to develop Hepatitis C, has denied a request to certify a class action lawsuit for thousands of former patients. The patients are claiming emotional distress stemming from the testing they underwent after discovering the problems at the clinic.

For the full article.

A woman lost three limbs after she contracted a flesh eating bacteria while receiving hospital care after the birth of her baby. She then claimed negligence by the hospital doctors and staff at the hospital caused the necrotizing fasciitis. The lawsuit brought by the woman and her attorneys asked for damages and compensation for a lifetime of care stemming from permanent and disabling injuries due to medical malpractice. The hospital and the university have agreed to pay the injured woman in a medical malpractice settlement. To read the full story, click here.

The influenza vaccine used to be strongly recommended for people over 65, but it is now losing its reputation as an effective way to ward off the virus in the elderly. A growing number of doctors say the vaccine probably does not work very well for people over 70. A recent article stated that previous studies had not measured any actual protection against the flu virus but rather a fundamental difference between the kinds of people who get vaccines and those who do not. The article found that people who were healthy and conscientious about staying well were more likely to get an annual flu shot. Studies have found that in those 60 to 69, the vaccine prevented the flu about 57 percent of the time, but in those over 70 the vaccine prevented the flu just 23 percent of the time. The influenza vaccine has never been put placebo-controlled trials, which are the best estimate of their effectiveness. Despite these new studies, the CDC still recommends the influenza vaccine for the elderly. To read the full story, click here.

A medical malpractice settlement has occurred after several injured patients sued a large hospital for medical malpractice and for negligence. Personal injury lawsuits have occurred after the patients were injured due to the hospital’s error in its failure to clean medical instruments used on patients. Additionally product liability lawsuits have occurred against the negligent companies who were contracted to clean and sterilize the medical equipment. To read more about this medical malpractice lawsuit regarding a failure to clean and failure to sterilize medical equipment click here.

http://www.levinperconti.com/lawyer-attorney-1090334.htmlA deadly meningitis virus left an eighteen month old dead six year ago. His family finally sought justice last month when they reached a personal injury lawsuit settlement in the amount of 1.25 million dollars. The settlement arose out of a finding that the doctor treating the toddler had engaged in medical malpractice. The negligent doctor was not in tune with a correct diagnosis and the doctor misdiagnosis lead to the boy’s death from meningitis, the doctor believe the toddler simply had a stomach problem. The community hospital malpractice was settled in a suit last month but the toddler’s parents will still never be able to get their son back. To read the full story click here.

A trend is emerging where patients in need of medical care are going abroad for surgeries. This trend is in response to rising health care costs in the U.S., a function of insurance companies increasing rates to maximize profits. However, there are numerous risks associated with major medical procedures abroad. Initially, the level of care may not be the same given different licensing requirements and regulations. Further, patients may be exposed to substandard protections against infection and the spread of disease. The American Medical Association has expressed concern over the standard of care in other countries and is not yet convinced that the purported benefits outweigh the costs. For patients that do seek care outside the U.S., it is important to see a U.S. physician for a follow-up upon reentry. These patients must also keep in mind that surgery and travel often do not mix.

For more information, click here:

Hepatitis C outbreaks have been linked to unsafe hospital injection practices at an Endoscopy Center. So far eighty-four individuals have contracted the disease due to the hospital’s medical malpractice. The Doctor’s negligent practices have been linked to one day when two identified physicians were on call. Medical malpractice lawsuits have already been filed and more medical malpractice suits will arise in the future as more individuals contract Hepatitis C from the hospital’s illegal conduct. As medical care is increasingly relied upon for protection and heath it is imperative that hospitals and physicians follow protocols and procedures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, virus and bacteria. To read the full story click here.

MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphlococcus aureus, is a new hospital infection superbug that appears to be resistant to most antibiotic medications. MRSA infections account for about 8% of all hospital infections but are normally deadly. A new report by the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1.7 million people each year contract hospital infections; however, the CDC admits that the study may underestimate how many people get hospital infections each year. In reality, nearly three times the estimated amount may suffer. To help stop MRSA infections, the CDC now recommends that all hospitals test incoming patients for MRSA contamination.

Read more about MRSA here.

A Charleston doctor is suing his doctors in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The doctor filed the medical malpractice lawsuit against 2 other doctors and a hospital after developing a serious hospital infection that lead to permanent disfigurement, required additional surgeries and lead to the doctor being on a ventilator. The doctor contends that his treating physicians and the hospital failed to perform a safe surgical procedure on him, that they failed to provide adequate and safe medical care, and that the hospital and doctors also failed to monitor change in condition. This suit shows the importance of patients being able to seek just and reasonable compensation for their injuries, subsequent medical expenses for life, and emotional distress as a result of medical malpractice.

Read the story here.

Often, hospitals are a source of many hospital infections because surfaces may not be sanitized properly. A recent article from the father of a son who died unexpectedly from a hospital infection explains some tips for avoiding unnecessary bacterial contact. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 100,000 people die each year from hospital infections. The article recommends that parents bring their own toys to the pediatrician’s office so that children don’t play with the office toys that may harbor bacteria. Additionally, patients should be sure to encourage family members and hospital staff to wash hands in plain sight before making physical contact. Hand washing is essential even if the staff member or doctor is wearing gloves: putting on gloves with unclean hands simply spreads more bacteria and defeats any protection from the glove.

Read more here.

One of the greatest organizational problems facing hospitals today is the battle over medical records. Many patients find that it can take months or years to get a hold of their own medical records after treatment. Even worse, some families of victims of medical malpractice or wrongful death have waited for years to obtain their loved one’s medical records from hospitals. Often, lost or missing records are simply part of hospital error and not a deliberate attempt to delay, but on some occasions hospitals may frustrate a patient’s records request purposefully. Patients and victims’ families must be aware that statutes of limitation often require that medical malpractice lawsuits be filed within a certain period of time after the injury occurs or is discovered. This means that patients and victims’ families must decide to file a medical malpractice lawsuit and contact their medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible and begin the medical records request process.

Read more here.

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress’s investigative arm, has urged the Department of Health and Human Services to set standards for how hospitals should deal with hospital infections. Hospital infections usually strike after a patient is discharged from a hospital and are an often forgotten source of medical malpractice and medical malpractice lawsuits. Many hospital infections come from problems with a hospital’s sanitation methods, failure to sterilize surgical instruments, or other medical errors. Hospital infections usually cause 100,000 deaths and infect more than 2 million people each year. The GAO hopes that the new standards will improve hospital accountability and curb the number of hospital infections each year and provide a centralized information source on hospital infection rates, death from hospital infections, and best practices.

See the story here.

The Medicare program may soon stop paying for more medical care that comes as a result of hospital error. In an effort to encourage hospitals to improve their patient care and avoid medical malpractice lawsuits, hospital infections, and hospital patient injury, Medicare announced last year that it would stop funding certain procedures and treatments. Now Medicare has added more potential preventable errors to the list.

Medicare may stop funding for these common hospital errors and preventable injuries:
-Surgical site infections following certain elective procedures
-Deep vein thrombosis/Pulmonary Embolism
-Legionnaires’ disease
-Extreme blood sugar derangement
-Lung Collapse resulting from medical treatment
-Ventilator-associated pneumonia
-Delirium
-Staph infection in the bloodstream
-Disease associated with Clostridium difficile infection

Medicare’s logic is that hospitals will stop making preventable errors and preventable patient injuries if the hospital won’t get paid for the error. Hospitals used to be paid for every consult and procedure but Medicare believes that not funding for preventable error will encourage hospitals to improve patient care to protect their bottom line.

Read more on these proposed changes here.

A US Navy veteran has won his medical malpractice lawsuit against a Veterans’ Affairs hospital doctor after a series of failed operations left him permanently disabled, receiving a verdict of $622,739. The man, who retired from Chicago-based Smurfit-Stone Container Corp in 2001, brought his medical malpractice lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The man originally entered the VA hospital for a hernia operation during which the doctors mistakenly severed an artery in his stomach, leading to 6 additional surgeries, a staph infection, and pneumonia.

For more information, read here.

It was recently revealed that a clinic had reused syringes and vials of medicine. With a large clientele, this clinic could have potentially exposed 40,000 patients to HIV and hepatitis B and C. This Southern Nevada clinic is now facing numerous medical malpractice lawsuits.

For the full article.

At least five people not yet identified by health officials say that during visits to a Las Vegas medical clinic that reused syringes and improperly cleaned medical equipment in a horrible case of medical malpractice. Medical malpractice lawsuits were filed against the Clinic alleging that the patients contracted the potentially fatal hepatitis C while undergoing colonoscopies.

For the full article.

The Illinois Hospital Report Card, the Illinois Consumer Guide to Health Care and another project meant to monitor medical malpractice issues in Illinois hospitals were groundbreaking and exciting initiatives passed in the state in the last four years. However, not much has been done to follow through on these laws. The Chicago Patient Safety Forum has been a strong critic of the delays in implementation even though last year's Patient Safety Summit in Chicago produced few results. The purpose of the laws was to provide the public with information about their doctors and the medical mistakes they make as well as the hospitals and issues like hospital-acquired infections.

One goal of this legislation was to examine instances of medical malpractice such as birth injuries and surgical errors. The Illinois Hospital Report Card was meant to monitor hospital-acquired infections and if the hospitals are adequately screening patients. It also was to focus on the quality and skills of nursing staffs. The lack of progress has been blamed on problems with the legislation itself, a lack of funding and staff, and bureaucratic delays. Legislators and other officials alike, such as the Illinois Hospital Association, have stated that patients have the right to be informed about their doctors and hospitals.

Click here for the full article

A Chicago medical malpractice lawsuit was filed today by John J. Perconti of Chicago medical malpractice law firm Levin & Perconti against St. Anthony Hospital and an emergency room physician. The lawsuit alleges that the hospital and doctor failed to diagnose meningitis in a 14-year old baby girl which caused her death.

The baby was evaluated and treated in the emergency room at St. Anthony on March 14, 2006. A blood culture test was ordered and Motrin, Tylenol, and IV fluids were prescribed. The child was sent home with her mother. At 7:00 p.m. that evening, the emergency room nurse was notified by the laboratory that Anna’s blood culture (test) showed the presence of gram positive cocci (multiple forms of bacteria).

Attorney John Perconti explained the medical error: “When the emergency room nurse and doctor learned the abnormal results of the blood culture they should have notified Elizabeth Nunez immediately and advised her to bring Anna back to the ER for further evaluation, hospitalization and antibiotic therapy. Instead, Dr. Lachica called Elizabeth at home to check on Anna’s condition and advised her to see her own pediatrician in the morning. St. Anthony’s nd Dr. Lachica failed to inform Elizabeth that Anna had tested positive for gram positive cocci, a life-threatening bacteria. They also failed to notify Anna’s pediatrician about this abnormal result. With this type of infection, you must err on the side of caution or face the risk of losing a life.”

Click here for the press release

All patients being treated in hospitals, whether for serious surgery or routine procedures, should be made aware of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus (MRSA), an infection acquired during hospitalization. 100,000 people die of MRSA annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one out of every 22 patients will acquire an infection during hospitalizations totaling 1.7 million patients a year. It is also estimated that out of that group, 99,000 would die. MRSA has recently been proven as avoidable in many cases. Pittsburgh Veterans Hospital has cracked down on doctor hygiene and hospital cleanliness, while taking other minor precautions and has noticed a decrease in MRSA infections. According to the hospital's chief of staff, "the infection control program cost about $500,000 a year, including test kits, salaries for 3 workers, and the $175-per-patient cost of gloves, gowns and hand sanitizer. The hospital... realized a net savings of nearly $900,000 when the number of infected patients fell." Hospitals should take note, especially since Medicare will no longer pay for "preventable" conditions induced by carelessness or medical malpractice in hospitals. One of the "preventable" categories is certain types of hospital-acquired infections. The hospitals themselves will have to cover these often enormous amounts.

Continue reading "Avoidable infections acquired in hospitals kill 100,000 a year" »

The wife of an Illinois man who bled to death after routine surgery at Downstate VA Hospital in southern Illinois recently began filing a lawsuit against the US Department of Veteran Affairs. A surgeon, who was barred from practicing in another state, was the doctor caring for that Illinois patient. The doctor had been accused of causing life-threatening complications and deaths by providing "grossly substandard care" and making repeated medical mistakes. Downstate VA Hospital in southern Illinois suspended inpatient surgeries shortly after the man bled to death in response to an increasing amount of post-surgical deaths. The hospital serves veterans in southern Illinois and other nearby areas in other states. The surgeon who spurred the chain of events had been linked to deaths all over the country. A surgical error caused a death after the doctor caused a blood infection and respiratory failure by allowing a stitch to dislodge in a man's esophagus. On another occasion he mistakenly put stitches in a patient's bladder during a hernia repair causing years of pain. He made misdiagnoses, delayed diagnoses, and used improper surgical methods, all leading to unnecessary surgeries, pain, and hospitalizations. The list does not stop there. The State of Illinois continued his license after learning it was revoked in another state. It was not difficult to find his record status even if the state hadn't been alerted. The Illinois VA hospital was responsible for a mortality rate over four times the normal amount. The barred surgeon was involved in all of them.

Click here for the full article

The Illinois legislature has passed, and the governor has signed, legislation requiring the screening of hospital patients for drug-resistant staph infections. The MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) infections infect over a million patients and kill tens of thousands every year. MRSA is the most common infection acquired in hospitals and Illinois is leading the nation in confronting the controversial issue. The law becomes effective immediately. Hospitals are now required to test all patients in intensive care units for MRSA and isolate patients with the bacteria. The bill was controversial because some hospital infection control practitioners claimed it would hinder response times to emergency threats. The same group introduced legislation requiring hospitals to prevent the spread of infection by analyzing which infections posed the most risks at different facilities. Although this bill was intended to replace the MRSA bill, both were passed into law. Fortunately for patients, the bills are aimed at protecting patients from unnecessarily contracting dangerous infections in hospitals.

Click here for the full article

A woman who had to have a quadruple amputation after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria in a hospital suffered a legal setback last week. A judge ruled that hospital records are protected by work product and attorney-client privilege. The victim’s attorneys said that they will appeal the ruling, which is separate from a pending medical malpractice lawsuit.

For the full article.

Illnesses, injuries and infections caused by medical mistakes or negligence in hospitals will no longer be covered by Medicare, the government health insurance program for senior citizens. This new initiative can save the lives and wellbeing of patients because it will make doctors and hospitals more accountable for preventable errors and force them to adhere more closely to policies and procedures. Private insurers are considering implementing a similar policy, which could save Americans money.

The preventable conditions that will not be covered by Medicare include surgical tools left inside patients after surgery, incompatible blood or air embolisms, bedsores or pressure ulcers developed during a hospital stay, injuries resulting from falls in the hospital, and infections caused by extended use of catheters in blood vessels or the bladder and infections at a surgical site after coronary artery bypass surgery. Some hospital spokesmen have expressed concerns that, for instance, bedsores are sometimes unpreventable. The conditions that have been chosen to be excluded from Medicare coverage are not arbitrary, however. They have been chosen by experts that believe they can be reasonably prevented. Levin & Perconti, for example, settled a case for $1 million recently when a nursing home claimed that a patient’s severe pressure sores were not avoidable. The patient, however, was able to completely recover when moved to a different facility. The included injuries were chosen by experts and stand as federal recognition that they are avoidable and can be prevented by stronger adherence to policies and procedures.

Click here for the full article

A 72-year-old woman was awarded $1.27 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit against a hospital as a result of her leg being amputated to the knee when it became infected with maggots 18 days after surgery on her foot. A nursing home doctor discovered hundreds of maggots in her wound. The woman's lawyer alleged that the gauze for her wound was changed but that the wound was not cleaned. The woman said she was pleased with the verdict because the negligence of the nursing home and hospital caused her permanent disfigurement and that she needed the money because she became so completely dependent on others.

Click here for the full article

A recent report regarding medical malpractice in Pennsylvania, focusing on surgical errors, was recently released by the Patient Safety Authority. 175 errors were made in the state during the past two and a half years, not including 253 close calls. These errors can lead to serious physical and financial strain, or even wrongful death. "Wrong-site" surgeries are a persistent problem and are clearly avoidable. Pennsylvania is a leader in public accountability for medical and surgical errors. In an effort to reduce the costs of health care, the Governor proposed that the state should cease to pay for care involving hospital-acquired infections, wrong-site surgeries, and other instances of medical malpractice. It is also the only state that requires hospitals to report near-misses.

The report cited wrong-site surgeries including the removal of a patient's healthy thyroid and incorrect cancer diagnosis as the result of a laboratory mix-up, an incorrect incision on the wrong side of a brain injury patient's head, and a surgeon inserting a needle into a patient's right knee when the surgery was planned for the other leg. In 83 reported cases of wrong-site surgeries in the state, the procedure was completed before the mistake was detected.

Click here for the full article

A jury awarded $11 million in a medical malpractice suit against an emergency room physician for failing to diagnose a condition that led to stroke and paralysis. The man went to the emergency room with a severe headache, and doctor's failed to diagnose an infection that had spread to his brain. While the emergency room technician ordered a CT scan that should have detected the infection, the treating physician sent the man home with a painkiller. Days later, the man suffered a stroke and slipped into a coma. Had the man been properly treated by the emergency room physician, the stroke and its debilitating repercussions could have been avoided.

Click here for the full article

Victims of medical malpractice are mobilizing to help prevent medical errors and promote patient safety. Sorrel King created the Josie King Foundation to fund safety initiatives at hospitals in honor of her 18-month-old daughter who died after a series of medical mistakes. She also donated some of the financial settlement to the hospital where the errors occurred in order to start a children’s safety program. King launched a new web site, josieking.org, with advice and information for patients and the medical community on how to increase patient safety and what to do if medical errors do occur.

Continue reading "Patients and families affected by medical errors organize a grass-roots movement" »

A recent study by two hospitals said that overcrowded hospitals are pushing too hard to streamline and cut costs. These goals are putting their patients at risk of medical malpractice such as medication errors, nerve injuries, infections, and other easily preventable mistakes. The study found that hospital goals of cutting costs and improving patient safety are working against each other.

For the full article.

Each year, roughly 100,000 patients die in hospitals because of medical malpractice and another 100,000 develop infections while in the hospital. Over the past six years, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has sharply cut down on common errors. Discharge delays and post-surgery infections are down 50%, deadly infections from ventilators are down 90%. At the same time, admissions are up 30%, the size of the staff has increased 50%, and revenue has doubled to $1 billion.

The hospital implemented various procedures to correct common errors. For example, to fight surgical infections often caused by busy doctors forgetting to administer preoperative antibiotics, the hospital initiated a “pre-op pause” (similar to one for pilots before a takeoff). Everyone stops for 30 seconds to make sure every safety step has been taken.

For the full article.

A woman contracted flesh-eating bacteria after giving birth at a hospital. She has since lost her arms and legs due to the virus. Her attorney recently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital, seeking not only damages but also explanations for how a routine childbirth became such a tragedy.

For the full article.

One common form of medical malpractice is preventable drug-related injuries. At least 1.5 million occurred in 2006. Of those, 98,000 deaths occurred both because of mistakes in administering drugs and because of infections contracted in hospitals. A recent article offered a potential solution in new technologies. The technology discussed continually verifies that when the medication is drawn at the nursing station, it is checked against the patient record, confirming the time and dose. If implemented successfully in hospitals nationwide, the overwhelming number of preventable drug-related injuries could be avoided.

For the full article.

Last week, a jury delivered a $1,160,000 judgment against a doctor in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The jury found that the surgeon was negligent in his treatment of the 56 year-old patient . The patient sought treatment in June 2001 for what he believed was a broken toe. His doctor found that the toe was burned and not broken and referred the patient to the offending doctor. The offending doctor saw the patient several times before he collapsed and his leg needed amputation below the knee. The personal injury attorneys for the plaintiff alleged that the 56 year-old man should have been sent to a burn doctor; rather, a conservative treatment was followed.

For the full article.

Despite some efforts to reduce infection risks at hospitals, hospital-acquired infections remain endemic:

1. Infections contracted in hospitals are the fourth largest killer in the U.S., causing as many deaths as car accidents, AIDS, and breast cancer combined.
2. The single most important way to reduce hospital infection is for doctors and other health care workers to clean their hands.
3. Hospital infections add almost $30 billion to the nation’s health care costs each year.
4. Many hospital infections are preventable.

For more information.

Hospital-acquired infections are a serious problem with 2 million hospital-acquired infections surfacing per year resulting in 92,000 deaths. Tonight’s CBS Evening News with Katie Couric will feature a segment about health care quality and the risk of hospital infections. The program will specifically discuss the infection reduction efforts at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. It airs tonight at 5:30 PM Central Standard Time.

For more information.

A jury found that the negligence of a pediatrician and two physician assistants resulted in the death of a one year old. The child died of cardiac failure and severe myocarditis, a disorder that is usually caused by viral infections. The doctor and physician assistants failed to perform a complete evaluation of the child and failed to respond properly to the child’s symptoms upon admittance. The plaintiff’s medical malpractice attorney was quoted as stating that a majority of the jurors saw this case as warranting a $5 to $7 million reward case, but one juror was out of touch.

For the full article.

Although hospitals often argue that hospital-acquired infections are inevitable for seriously ill patients, recent studies refute this claim. One study found that age and severity of illness did not appear to be risk factors among 54 patients with varying ailments who contracted hospital-acquired infections during the three-year study period. A second study found that patients with hospital-acquired infections stayed in the hospital longer, were more likely to die, and faced higher costs than other patients with similar underlying illnesses. The severity of the effects of the infection could not be attributed to how sick the patient was on admission.

Experts recommend that health professionals do more to promote hand-washing among medical staff, take greater care in donning gowns and other infection-preventing clothing during medical procedures, use antibiotics more selectively, reduce traffic in and out of operating rooms, and isolate patients when necessary. Being proactive about hospital-acquired infections could not only prevent medical malpractice, but also save hospitals a lot of money.

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MSN Health & Fitness recently released an article full of tips on how to leave the hospital healed and not hurt. The tips begin with what to do while you’re still healthy. Although many view hospitals as havens from illness and accidents, hospitals are actually home to bacterial traps and medical and medication malpractice. Medication dosing errors harm 1.5 million patients each year. Infections from hospitals are now the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.

1. While you’re still healthy, gather all of your medical data. Doctors will need a list of medications you’re taking, your medical history, immunizations, allergies, the name and phone number of your physician, lab reports, and copies of recent EKGs and MRIs. This information can help save critical seconds in a hospital visit.
2. Identify the best hospital. There are many resources available on the internet to help determine which hospital is best to suit your needs.

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Eleven years ago, a 15 year-old girl was about to undergo a knee repair surgery. During the course of that 1995 surgery, she contracted an infection that painstakingly led to an additional seven surgeries. Although the hospitals knew that they were experiencing unusually high levels of infections near the time she was infected, they did not inform their physicians or patients.

The jury award is being threatened by the close ties between the hospital and the state legislature. Senator Evan Jenkins, who also acts as the executive director of the state Medical Association, states that he hopes the judge will decrease the award.

Others remain hopeful that the judge will heed to the strong message that the jurors sent: that hospitals will not go unpunished for its negligent acts and refusing to take responsibility for its failures.

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