Medical Malpractice

• Medical Malpractice Is Rampant

  Ed Normand | September 28, 2007 1:27 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  It is frightening to examine the number of injuries and death from medical malpractice. The Institute of Medicine, a highly respected source of medical science information, determined that preventable medical malpractice and negligence is the number eight highest cause of death in the U.S.. According to the study, medical malpractice is a factor in over 98,000 deaths each year in the...

• Pressure Ulcers Are a Problem at Hospitals

  Ed Normand | September 27, 2007 12:39 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  The Hill-Rom Company has published a study indicating that half of all hospital patients risk acquiring pressure ulcers or bed sores during the hospital stay. First to blame are the hospitals for not taking precautions to prevent the sores from starting. This study follows the recent U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' decision to stop reimbursement to hospitals for the cost...

• Medical and Health Industry Admits Malpractice

  Ed Normand | September 10, 2007 2:42 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  For years patients have been forced to sue physicians and hospitals because they just could not get a straight answer from them about what happened and why. Many times an apology and an offer to correct the problem would have prevented a lawsuit. Other times, especially in cases of clear negligence a fair settlement offer at the outset of the injury would prevent the time, expense and...

• Cancer Check harder to get than Botox

  Ed Normand | August 29, 2007 3:33 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  According to a recently published online study by the American Academy of Dermatology, patients that want to see a dermatologist for an evaluation of potential cancer in a mole must wait much longer than it takes to get an appointment to the same dermatologist for a cosmetic Botox injection. Given the malignant melanoma is so very deadly it is disappointing to see that patient health care is...

• Safety of Drug Coated Heart Stents Still Up in the Air

  Staff Writer | October 25, 2006 8:31 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  After the third day of Transcather Cardiovascular Therapeutics show, the results are still mixed regarding the safety of drug coated heart stents. The stents, manufactured by Boston Scientific's Taxus and Johnson & Johnson's Cypher, many experts agreed, there appears to be a long-term clotting risk compared with the use of older bare metal stents. Even some physicians have been reluctant in...

• First Guidant Defibrillator Trial Postponed

  Joe Saunders | April 11, 2006 6:52 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  The first Guidant defective defibrillator trial has been postponed because one of the witnesses is unavailable due to the Passover holiday. The judge has said that the case will most likely resume in July.

• Guidant's Own Commission Critical of Flaws

  Joe Saunders | March 21, 2006 6:20 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  An expert panel commissioned by Guidant Corporation to assess its handling of problems with cardiac medical devices cited the company for failure to properly assess patient safety. The commission noted that Guidant's decisions were guided by statistical projections provided by engineers rather than medical data provided by doctors. The group urged Guidant to create an outside panel of...

• Guidant Corp. Cited by Senate Committee

  Joe Saunders | March 13, 2006 6:33 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) has introduced legislation that would toughen penalties for companies and their executives who sold products that cause injury or death. Presently, there are only civil penalties for such behavior. In announcing the legislation, Specter singled out Guidant Corp. and their defective defibrillators as an example of actions that would be...

• Medtronic Continued Selling Defibrillators in Spite of Failures

  Joe Saunders | February 20, 2006 9:10 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  Medtronic Inc. continued selling flawed cardiac defibrillators for two years after learning that some of them may suddenly quit working, according to company documents filed in a California lawsuit. After Medtronic last year recalled the devices, 19,000 people had to have surgery for a replacement, said Medtronic spokesman Rob Clark. At least one of them died from post- surgical complications,...

• Sign Your Rights Away or Die

  Ed Normand | June 06, 2008 11:38 PM | 1 CommentOrlando, FL

  Many health care providers are requiring patients to sign lengthy agreements absolving them from liablity for malpractice as a condition of treatment. A typical scenario is a family needs to put a...