Medical Malpractice
Ohio State Malpractice Lawsuit Garners Little Attention
Becky Colcord had a CAT scan in 2004 at the Ohio State Medical Center. Her radiologist failed to notice a cancerous mass that was visible on the images. In 2010, she was diagnosed with bone cancer and underwent surgery at OSU. She received no follow-up treatment from the center. Colcord later had to undergo further…
Read MoreDepartment of Veterans Affairs Admits Errors, Denies Malpractice Claims
Ohio and Kentucky have a number of V.A. facilities, including hospitals and rehabilitation centers. In general, the V.A. has come under a lot of scrutiny in the last few years as more and more of our service men and women come home with the classic signs of PTSD. But not every veteran has mental health…
Read More$1.2 million Verdict Victoria and Steve Stamper v. Michael Draznik, M.D. Hamilton County, Ohio
Mrs. Stamper had her bowel perforated by Dr. Draznik during open abdominal surgery to remove scar tissue and a portion of her fallopian tube that was inadvertently left in during a previous surgery performed by Dr. Draznik. By the time the perforation was diagnosed after a four day delay, Mrs. Stamper was septic and had…
Read MoreNew Doctors Lack Bedside Manner
Doctors in their first year out of medical school are unlikely to display communications skills that can improve a patient’s recovery and lead to greater patient satisfaction, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University. Observers recorded the actions of 29 internal medicine interns for three weeks to see whether they used five valued…
Read MoreTechnology and Equipment Failures Blamed for 70% of Medical Errors
Problems with technological advancements may be drastically adding to the amount of medical errors that affect up to 16 percent of patients admitted to hospitals, according to a recent Medical Daily article. In a comparison of 28 studies regarding medical mistakes, researchers found that 70 percent of errors are related to equipment available in operating…
Read MoreHeart Patients Warned Against Common Antibiotics
Patients with underlying heart disease should not use antibiotics commonly prescribed for bronchitis and sinus infections as they may dramatically increase the risk of death from heart problems, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Use of the antibiotic azithromycin (sold under the brand name Zithromax) was linked with nearly…
Read MoreMedical Malpractice Highlighted in Colorado Doctor Case
The Colorado Medical Board has filed 14 counts of unprofessional conduct against a Denver surgeon for various forms of medical malpractice, according to CBS News. Dr. Warren Kortz is accused of leaving sponges and surgical equipment in patients as well as improperly using robotic surgery for kidney transplants. Not only has Kortz misrepresented the success…
Read MoreGene Patents Delay Research, Affect Every Patient
A potential decision made by the US Supreme Court on a current case regarding patenting human genes could affect the health and lives of every American. Myriad Genetics currently controls the patents on variations of two human genes – BRCA1 and BRCA2 – whose mutations provide a high risk of breast and ovarian cancer. With…
Read MoreTherapy “Plateau” No Longer Stops Medicare Coverage
A class-action lawsuit last month has prohibited Medicare from denying patients coverage for reaching a “plateau,” meaning their conditions are not improving. Medicare patients with chronic health problems or disabilities that require nursing care, home health services or outpatient therapy will be able to continue to receive the skilled care they need for as long…
Read MoreM&M Conferences Shield Errors from Patients
“Morbidity and mortality” – or M&M – conferences emerged in the early 20th century as a way for physicians to review cases that had gone wrong behind closed doors, away from patients and families. In the medical world, surgery M&Ms are especially known for their confrontations, as more experienced surgeons often browbeat younger doctors into…
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