A physician in a recent New York Times article lamented the current lack of more intimate doctor-patient relationships, and their replacement by technology-driven diagnoses. Our medical facilities might have the latest imaging devices and computer programs, but the human element is sometimes lost, and patients may be suffering as a result. American hospitals and physicians are among the best in the...
Read MoreInjured by side effects of an MRI contrast dye containing gadolinium? In May of 2007, the FDA required a Black Box Warning for all MRI contrast dyes containing gadolinium. Reports have identified a possible link between Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) and the use of injected MRI contrast dyes containing gadolinium. Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) is a connective tissue disorder...
Read MoreIn a hospital emergency department, doctors treat a wide variety of health conditions. Emergency medicine physicians will treat patients for conditions that range from routine health problems to life threatening health crises. Upon entering the emergency department of a hospital, a patient is assessed by a triage nurse, who determines the level of seriousness of the patient’s condition, prioritizing...
Read MoreCommercial vehicles are the largest vehicles on the road. The only other vehicles coming close are newer recreational vehicles. 18-wheelers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. When that amount of weigh is involved in an accident, catastrophic injuries can easily occur to drivers and occupants of smaller passenger vehicles. In an effort to reduce the number of trucking accidents...
Read MoreIn Kansas, the Health Care Stabilization Fund provides healthcare providers with liability insurance. As such, it is a rich source of information on trends in the world of Kansas medical malpractice. On October 16, the Health Care Stabilization Fund Oversight Committee released data pertaining to medical malpractice claims within Kansas during Fiscal Year 2013. According to the report, the...
Read MoreDempsey Kingsland Osteen recently received national recognition for its February 2016 trial of Carl Oyler et al v. Hy-Vee, Inc. The story, featured on the front page of April 28, 2016 edition of The Washington Post, tells the tragic tale of the death of Joyce Oyler and highlights the dangers patients face when transitioning from hospital to home. The...
Read MoreSurgery, no matter how big or small, is a serious matter. Whether you’re having your appendix removed, correcting your eyesight through Lasik surgery, or undergoing a coronary bypass, there are always significant risks involved. Although surgeries are typically used to improve the length or quality of the patient’s life, in rare cases an error will occur during surgery. The...
Read MoreWhen many people in Kansas City think of medical malpractice, they likely think of a physician committing an error that causes serious harm to a patient. While this is often the case, the physician is not always solely responsible for the incident. Oftentimes, the hospital itself is liable. Understanding whether the hospital is responsible — at least in part...
Read MoreThe Missouri House of Representatives is scheduled to vote soon on a legislative bill that passed easily through the state’s Senate last week. The bill that is now one step closer to being enacted as law is a tort reform measure that, ostensibly at least, is intended to lower insurance premiums by capping awards for persons injured through medical...
Read MoreAdverse patient outcomes at nursing homes in Missouri and nationally can cover a lot of territory. Bedsores — often referred to as pressure ulcers — are not an uncommon occurrence at nursing facilities. Stories from across the country chronicle with some regularity episodes of patient malnutrition and dehydration. Medication errors are an obvious source of concern in the industry....
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