PREVENTABLE MEDICAL MISTAKES IN HOSPITALS
Hospital-acquired conditions, also known as “never events”, are particularly awful medical mistakes that should not ever occur. Some examples of these preventable errors include: Operating on the wrong place on the patient’s body Discharging a newborn to the wrong parents Leaving a foreign object, such as a scalpel or sponge, inside the body Mismatched blood...
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Colonoscopies Help Millions of People Annually, But What Can Go Wrong?
There are over 14 million colonoscopies performed annually. This can be a life-saving procedure for many individuals. Colonoscopy exams allow doctors to go inside the large intestine and the colon with flexible tubing attached to a small video recorder. The purpose is usually to use the video image from the recorder to identify polyps, ulcers,...
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Sleep Apnea Sufferers Have a Higher Risk of Hypoxia During Surgery
Sleep apnea is a disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts while the individual is asleep. Since it is a disruption to REM sleep, those affected often feel fatigued during the day or wake up with headaches and have difficulty with irritability and paying attention. It is also uncontrollable, which can make it potentially dangerous...
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Medical Professionals Often Fail to Diagnose Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, where it is estimated that at least 100,000 Americans die of PE every year. Pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot travels to the lungs, where it gets stuck and blocks blood flow, causing fluid and pressure buildup, damage to lung...
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Recent Study Finds Medical Errors are Third Leading Cause of Death in the United States
Even though medical professionals strive to provide the highest standard of care to their patients, thousands of medical mistakes take place every day in the US. Medical mistakes occur regularly due to communication breakdowns, diagnostic errors, poor judgment, and inadequate skill. These mistakes can directly result in patient harm and death, and are not identified...
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Pulmonary Embolism is The Leading Cause of Preventable Deaths in Patients Hospitalized for Surgical Procedures
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is usually caused by a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis, or “DVT”) formed in the deep veins of one or both legs, although it is possible for DVTs to form in any deep vein in the body. Unless the DVT is discovered and treated, all or part of the clot will enter...
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Common Bile Duct Injuries Can Have Devastating Consequences
A healthy gallbladder stores bile, which is produced in the liver, and releases the bile into the small intestine to help in the digestion of food. Gallstones are small, hard, gravel-like deposits that can form inside the gallbladder. Gallstones cause pain, inflammation, infection, and blockages of the tubes, called bile ducts, which enter and exit...
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Study Reveals 210,000 Americans Die Each Year Because of Medical Mistakes
Every year, millions of Americans rely on the skill and experience of surgeons, doctors and medical professionals to perform operations that can save, or at least greatly improve, their lives. Unfortunately, despite the high level of training and dedication exhibited by the majority of medical professionals, accidents do happen. At The Yost Legal Group, Baltimore...
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