Blog

Women Should Be Given Antibiotics Within One Hour Before Caesarian Delivery

Family Sues Minnesota Hospital -- Patient Dies After Falling Off Operating Table

Hospital delay in administering angioplasty to heart attack patients almost doubles death rate

Temporary Agencies Often Employ Incompetent Nurses

Errors at Doctors' Offices

Death from Stroke While Hospitalized for Heart Attack

Early Detection of Prostate Cancer with ProPSA Testing

Patients should be screened for sepsis after surgery, say researchers

High blood pressure drug's link to increased cancer risk studied

Choline found to be an essential prenatal nutrient

Deciding on best prostate cancer treatment options

Cardiologists may be misinterpreting echocardiograms

ICU Patients More Likely to Die on Weekends

Public Given More Information About Doctor's Backgrounds in Colorado

3 Signs of Possible Melanoma

Promising treatment for precancerous prostate

Epinephrine overdose warning issued

Effect of childhood cancer - survivors suffer ongoing PTSD symptoms

Diagnosing Bladder Cancer

Study Shows Patients Unaware of Medications Prescribed During Hospital Visit

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, one in every five medication doses involved some degree of error. 

The researchers conducted the study to assess patient awareness of their in-hospital medications.  Inpatient medication errors represent an important patient safety issue.

The study involved 50 participants between the ages of 21 and 89 who knew their outpatient medications, and were from the community around the hospital. 

The researchers found that 44% of the patients believed they were receiving a medication they were not, and 96% were unable to recall the name of at least one medication that they had been prescribed during hospitalization.  Further, patients younger than 65 were unable to name 60% of medications which they could take as needed, whereas patients older than 65 were unable to name 88% of these medications.

If you or someone you love suffered injury or death because of a medication error during a hospital visit, you should contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Berger & Lagnese for a free consultation.

Statins May Worsen Symptoms In Some Cardiac Patients

According to a new study presented at CHEST 2009, the annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), statins, which are widely used to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular disorders, may actually have negative effects on some cardiac patients. 

The researchers reviewed the charts of 136 patients with heart failure in order to examine the effect of statins on pulmonary function and exercise tolerance in patients with diastolic heart failure vs. systolic heart failure.  A non-statin group of 75 patients was compared with a statin group of 61 patients.

Results of the analysis showed that overall pulmonary function and exercise tolerance of patients in the statin group were significantly lower than patients in the non-statin group. Further subgroup analyses revealed that pulmonary function measures in the diastolic heart failure statin group were 12 percent lower than pulmonary function measures in the diastolic heart failure non-statin group.  Furthermore, the amount of exercise performed by patients with diastolic heart failure who were on a statin was almost 50 percent less than patients with diastolic heart failure not on a statin.

The researchers concluded that statins have beneficial effects on patients with systolic heart failure, however, statins may actually worsen symptoms in patients with diastolic heart failure.

Get free information about cardiovascular disorders including heart attacks and strokes from the medical malpractice attorneys at Berger & Lagnese.

New Technique for Detecting Pulmonary Embolism

According to a study published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) , combining a low dose computed tomography (CT) with a form of molecular imaging called single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) may provide an accurate diagnosis for pulmonary embolism.  The researchers tested the diagnostic accuracy of SPECT/CT imaging for pulmonary embolism against that of multidetector CT angiography (MDCT) alone. 

Pulmonary embolism is caused when a blood clot travels to a person's lungs from another location in the body, usually the legs. 

The researchers studied a total of 196 patients suspected of having acute pulmonary embolism from June 2006 to February 2008.  Their study found that SPECT plus low-dose CT had a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 100%, whereas MDCT alone had a sensitivity of 68% and a specificity of 100%. 

The researchers concluded that having an effective technique for diagnosing pulmonary embolism leads to more rapid and successful diagnosis. 

Get free information about pulmonary embolism from the medical malpractice attorneys at Berger & Lagnese.

Risk of Major Medical Errors When Surgeons Are Burned Out or Depressed

According to the results of a survey published online in Annals of Surgery, surgeons who are burned out or depressed are more likely to say they had recently committed a major error on the job. 

The findings suggest that the mental well-being of the surgeon is associated with a higher rate of medical errors, something that may undermine patient safety. 

Nine percent of the 7,905 surgeons who responded to the survey reported having made a major medical mistake in the previous three months. Overall, 40% of the surgeons who responded to the survey said they were burned out.

Mistakes also varied by specialty. Surgeons practicing obstetrics/gynecology and plastic surgery were much less likely to report errors than general surgeons.

If you or someone you love suffered injury or death because of a medical mistake or surgical error, you should contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Berger & Lagnese for a free consultation.

Readmission Rates For Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure

According to a recent study published in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association, approximately 25% of heart failure patients with Medicare are readmitted to the hospital within a month after discharge.

Heart failure occurs when a heart weakened by disease can no longer pump effectively.

The researchers used data from Medicare for 2004 through 2006 to identify all recipients over age 65 that went to the hospital for heart failure and were discharged. 

There were 570,996 distinct hospitalizations for heart failure in which the patient was discharged in 4,728 hospitals in 2004; 544,550 in 4,694 hospitals in 2005; and 501,234 in 4,674 hospitals in 2006.  Readmission rates were virtually identical over this period: 23.0% in 2004, 23.3% in 2005, and 22.9% in 2006.

The researchers concluded that Medicare beneficiaries discharged after heart failure hospitalization have not changed in recent years, indicating that there was neither improvement in hospital readmission rates nor in hospital variations in rates over this time period.

If you or someone you love suffered injury or death because of delay in the diagnosis or treatment of heart disease, you should contact the attorneys at Berger & Lagnese for a free consultation.

Improperly Sterilized Equipment at UPMC Northwest

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, more than 140 patients who had surgery at UPMC Northwest in Venango County between January and July this year may have been exposed to potentially life-threatening illnesses such as HIV or Hepatitis. 

The problem is being attributed to surgical equipment that was not properly sterilized. 

The hospital sent letters to patients who are believed to be at risk.