Boston Scientific and its child company, Guidant, recently settled a lawsuit with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for knowingly selling defective defibrillators. Guidant must pay $30 million. According to the government, Guidant discovered that two of its...
Detroit Medical Malpractice Law Blog
ISMP: Fentanyl Caused 1,890 Serious Adverse Events During 2012
The Fentanyl patch is one of the most powerful painkillers on the market, so you'd think that product quality would be of utmost importance. Sadly, Fentanyl product-quality problems caused 802 serious adverse events in 2012 alone, according to the Institute for Safe...
The Impact Of Surgical Items Left Inside The Patient
Many things can go wrong during a surgery, but the majority of patients have an operation that is considered successful and they begin healing normally. Incredibly, about 6,000 patients face severe post-surgery complications - including internal infection and wrongful...
Study: 37 Percent Of Nursing Home Falls Cause Brain Injury
Sadly, nursing home falls are common. Residents are elderly or physically disabled, rendering them less likely to regain their balance should they trip, slip or misstep. The injuries can be severe, even life-threatening, as documented by a recent study. More than 1 in...
Hospital Tuberculosis Outbreak Infects At Least 26
The word "tuberculosis" used to bring trepidation to Americans.The creation of the antibiotic streptomycin in 1946 largely quieted this fear, but a new drug-resistant strain of the disease has surfaced in recent decades. A recent tuberculosis outbreak at a Las Vegas...
Lawsuit: 6-Year-Old Killed By Medication Dosage Error
A misplaced decimal caused the death of a 6-year-old girl, according to a recent lawsuit against a pharmacy. The child was prescribed morphine to combat sickle cell anemia. Soon after her mother administered the medication in accordance with the pharmacy's directions,...
JAMA Study: U.S. Hospital Infections Cost $10 Billion Annually
Health care-associated infections (HAIs) affect 1 in 20 patients, according to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HAIs are a top-10 cause of death in the United States, killing 2,500 annually, but the problem only seems to be worsening. A new...
Study Seeks Truth In Connection Between Diflucan, Birth Defects
Diflucan (fluconazole) is a medicine designed to treat fungal infections, but it has recently been scrutinized for an alleged tie to birth defects. Many scientists believe that when pregnant women take high doses of Diflucan, the fetus faces an increased risk of birth...
Study Aims To Help Speech Of Children With Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy often impacts a child's speech, making words slur or lack enunciation. A speech problem can be just as troubling as a child's movement difficulties, so scientists at a Scotland university are about to begin a three-year study that will closely examine...
Study: Antidepressants Greatly Increase Risk To Pregnant Mothers
Postpartum hemorrhage is one of the leading causes of fatal birth trauma in the United States. For that reason, scientists have made efforts to decrease it and save lives. A new study from the British Medical Journal provides valuable insight into one of the...