Malpractice
Thousands of people are injured each year due to medical malpractice. Many will die. Few, who are seriously injured from medical negligence, file a lawsuit. Don’t silently endure. Americas Watchdog is listening.
The Latest Watchdog News for Feb 23, 2010
Hospital Infections Kill 48,000 Annually
A stay in the hospital is supposed to make the patient better, not worse. But according to a study funded by Resources for the Future, in 2006, 48,000 hospital patients who caught infections during their stay died. A staggering $8.1 billion cost was affiliated, reports Reuters. This is the first hospital-acquired infections study to put a price on the problem, continued Reuters.
“In many cases, these conditions could have been avoided with better infection control in hospitals,” said Ramanan Laxminarayan of Resources for the Future, quoted Reuters. The researchers said some 1.7 million healthcare-associated infections are diagnosed annually, wrote Reuters.
Posted in Diseases, Malpractice by: ksager
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The Latest Watchdog News for Jan 28, 2010
Botox Overdose Blamed for Girl’s Death
A Botox overdose is blamed for the death of a California 7-year-old girl who died in November 2007 of respiratory failure and pneumonia, after Botox injections for her cerebral palsy. The mother has filed a lawsuit against Botox manufacturer, Allergan.
Last April, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) ordered a black box warning for Botox and similar drugs. The prescript highlighted problematic risks and events if botulinum toxin would spread beyond the injection site. The label change occurred after the FDA reviewed safety reports involving adverse reactions that resembled botulism infections in injected patients. Severe cases included hospitalization and death, with most victims children being treated for cerebral palsy-associated limb spasticity (serious arm and leg muscle spasms).
Posted in Defective Drugs, Malpractice by: ksager
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The Latest Watchdog News for Jan 25, 2010
Radiation Overdoses Can Kill
Accidental radiation overdoses can cause serious, painful complications, sometimes resulting in death, according to a recent New York Times report. Americans are exposed to more radiation than ever before: the lifetime dose of diagnostic radiation increased sevenfold since 1980 and over half of all cancer patients get radiation.
Radiation overdoses are more common than one might assume, the Times investigation uncovered, and these blunders often create perilous consequences. Dr. John J. Feldmeier, University of Toledo radiation oncologist and a leading authority on radiation injury treatment, estimates that 1 in 20 patients will suffer injuries, wrote the Times.
Posted in Malpractice by: ksager
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The Latest Watchdog News for Jan 19, 2010
New Network Hopes to Limit Medication Errors
Medication errors kill one person per day in the U.S., and injure about 1.3 million every year, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Those figures compelled two leading medical organizations to begin a national alert system to prevent imminent and repeated medication errors.
According to their press release, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) have created the National Alert Network for Serious Medication Errors, which will activate when a harmful or potentially grave error has occurred. The notice will include the problem’s description and recommendations for future prevention.
Posted in Malpractice by: ksager
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