About 24 percent of all surgical mistakes are caused by technology problems or equipment failure, according to research recently published in BMJ Quality and Safety. The study is alarming, as the use of complex technology in the operating room has risen dramatically....
Medical Malpractice
Healthcare-Associated Infections Plague 1.7 Million Every Year
Patients go to the hospital to improve their health, but each year 1.7 million Americans become worse when they suffer a healthcare-associated infection (HAI). These infections may involve deadly bacteria like clostridium difficile (C. diff), methicillin-resistant...
Prescription Painkiller Overdoses Soaring, Especially In Women
Prescription painkiller addictions have quickly become a widespread problem in the U.S., a phenomenon that has been closely followed by officials and lawmakers. However, even after Michael Jackson's death, the prevalence of prescription painkiller overdoses hasn't...
Decontamination Process Reduces MRSA Infections By 40 Percent
Deadly bacteria like MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, kill more people every year than AIDS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The problem is especially serious because the majority of these infections occur in...
Unsterile Endoscopes Not Only Disgusting, But Deadly
A colonoscopy, gastroscopy or duodenoscopy isn't on anyone's list of favorite things to do, but every year 15 to 20 million patients go through these uncomfortable procedures for the positive impact on their health. Disturbingly, a new medical study reveals that it's...
Despite Rising Demand, Emergency Rooms Becoming More Scarce
Approximately 20 percent of Americans visited an emergency room (ER) in 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There were a total of 130 million visits to ERs in 2011, a 33-million visit increase from 1995. Despite the rise in need,...
Medical Malpractice Suits Spur Safer Hospitals, Clinics
Medical malpractice lawsuits provide accountability for medical errors and allow injured patients to recover compensation. However, another benefit of malpractice suits has been overlooked: the improved safety of American health care. More than 95 percent of hospitals...
Johns Hopkins: Malpractice Suits Not Cause Of Costly Healthcare
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine recently completed a study that supports what medical malpractice attorneys have been saying for decades: malpractice lawsuits are not the cause of soaring healthcare costs. Researchers found that huge medical malpractice...
JAMA Study: Surgery Errors Boost Hospital Profits
A comprehensive medical study found that U.S. hospitals increase their profit margins when patients suffer surgery errors or complications. The research examined the cases of nearly 35,000 surgery patients and found that those with private insurance who suffered...
NIH Study Risked Lives Of 1,316 Babies Between 2005 and 2009
An unconscionable study risked the lives and health of more than 1,300 babies without their parents' knowledge. The trial, known as the SUPPORT study, provided varying levels of oxygen to prematurely born infants and measured the effects. The government-funded study...