A recent study sheds light on the danger and frequency of medication errors. Pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs provide relief for a wide variety of conditions and diseases.  A medication mistake can occur at any time from when a physician prescribes a drug to delivery of the drug to a patient.  Medication errors are common.  While … Continued

New research supports earlier findings that older surgeons do not have higher rates of operative mistake and mortality. Our firm delivers aggressive representation to individuals and families who are injured by medical mistakes and bad outcomes that occur when physicians provide care below accepted standards.  Because of the high rate of medical error in the … Continued

A post-operative warming blanket or device offers comfort and helps maintain a stable body temperature which reduces discomfort and speeds healing.  Yet used incorrectly, these devices deliver heat that can cause a serious thermal burn. An iatrogenic injury is a wound to tissue or an organ that is caused by medical treatments unrelated to the … Continued

Taking a break before and during a surgical procedure can reduce the risk of surgical error and adverse medical events. The Joint Commission, an accrediting agency for hospitals across the United States, includes a time-out as a part of the universal procedure to prevent wrong site, wrong person, or wrong surgery “never events.”  The protocol … Continued

A simple sniff of a pleasant or rotten odor may help guide decision making by physicians and families of patients who have suffered traumatic brain injury. Brain injury can occur as a result of a heart attack, trauma, stroke, or surgical accident.  When a patient slips into a nonresponsive state, difficult decisions are sometimes made … Continued

Handoffs occur as a patient moves through medical triage or treatment.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently discussed the need to improve handoffs to reduce patient risk—and the risk of medical malpractice lawsuits. According to The Joint Commission, an accrediting agency for healthcare facilities, a “hand-off is a transfer and acceptance of patient care … Continued