Year: 2013

Experts have long tried to determine how many people die as a result of medical errors in hospitals. In 1999, a report called “To Err is Human” shook up the medical community by suggesting up to 98,000 patients died from preventable errors in hospitals each year. Now a new report says the actually number of deaths from medical errors is…

When a medical mistake happens, and they happen often, doctors and other medical staff often close ranks. We’ve seen it many times when a victim of a medical error is shut out by the people responsible. Several issues are at play here, and one of them is fraternity among doctors and hospitals, where mistakes are not discussed unless…

In the medical world, there are countless conditions, diseases, and medical events, each with unique and sometimes shared symptoms. Determining your diagnosis can be difficult. But with the availability of improved knowledge and technology, doctors and hospital personnel are more equipped than ever to make accurate diagnoses. There are some basic exams that a physician can administer which…

Strokes happen suddenly and if you aren’t aware of the warning signs, things could turn potentially fatal in a matter of moments. Because strokes are a leading cause of death in the United States—killing nearly 130,000 Americans, and because there are methods and medications that can stop them or at least temper their damage, it’s crucial we all know what…

We go to doctors because they are the experts—they have the education and experience we lack when it comes to our health and the complex nature of the human body. But, doctors are human. They make mistakes. Missed and delayed diagnoses are just a few of the medical mistakes that could mean the difference between life and death…

There are certain things that should never happen when you are in a hospital’s care. These things are called “never events” for precisely that reason. They include operating on the wrong body part, leaving instruments or sponges behind in a surgical patient, and surgery performed on the wrong patient, among other things. These events represent the greatest failures possible in medical…

When you are admitted to the hospital for an illness or for surgery, you meet all sorts of people. From lab workers to surgeons, we never know just how many people actually play a role in our care. And very often, you may be shocked to learn, there is no one at the center of this web of…

As a medical professional watching all of the headlines concerning hospital infections and medical mistakes in hospitals, it has to make you hyper-conscious about your own risk of error. One doctor, in penning an editorial for Fox News, found that although he had never made a major mistake, he was in the midst of them quite often. The doctor,…

It’s been fifty years since the medical community embraced disposable syringes. The innovation should have ushered in an age devoid of infections passed through dirty needles. Still, for one reason or another, such infections remain a major problem. Just in the past month, two large east coast hospitals have had to notify patients of the improper reuse of…

As we go through our lives, the ability to create new memories and reminisce on old ones is a cherished ability that is often taken for granted; however, for those unfortunate people who have suffered from traumatic head injuries, memory problems and loss can be a significant issue that dramatically affects their life. Depending on the type of…