Many residents of Pennsylvania are the victims of medical errors. In fact, these are behind 10% of all deaths in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University. Radiology plays a big role in such errors. False-positive readings can account for as much as 30% of all...
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Medical Malpractice
New sepsis protocols could lead to medical complications
New guidelines that set a one-hour treatment window for sepsis patients in Pittsburgh and around the world could cause adverse outcomes, according to a recent editorial published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. The authors of the editorial recommend reverting to...
Two reports show how misdiagnosis factors in malpractice claims
Two reports, one which appeared in the journal Diagnosis and the other released from the malpractice insurer Coverys, show how prominent diagnostic errors are among malpractice claims. The first study looked at nearly 11,600 diagnosis-related malpractice claims filed...
How incomplete medical records lead to misdiagnosis
Medical records are a vital tool in managing your health and helping the healthcare professionals you work with make accurate diagnoses. They let doctors know what medications you are taking, past problems and procedures, and vital data that can help them determine...
Hospital staff’s mistakes with gowns, gloves may spread bacteria
A research team recently found that hospital staff caring for infectious patients can inadvertently cause bacterial contamination through mistakes in the disposal of personal protective garments. Healthcare workers in Pennsylvania will want to know more about the...
Studies find misdiagnosis to be the top cause of malpractice
The misdiagnosis of adult and pediatric patients is a major source for medical malpractice claims in Pennsylvania and across the nation, according to two new studies. The studies were conducted by Coverys and The Doctors Company, which are both medical malpractice...
Rare diseases affect a surprising number of people
Rare Disease Day is held on the last day of February each year in an effort to raise awareness regarding rare diseases. Each year, a specific theme focuses attention on an aspect of the problem, and for 2019, the theme spotlights bridging the gap between medical,...
Seven conditions with which migraine sufferers are misdiagnosed
A migraine is a neurological disorder, and its symptoms can be mistaken for those of other conditions. One study shows that only 1 in 20 patients receive the correct migraine or headache diagnosis. Below are seven conditions with which patients in Pennsylvania may...
Safety errors linked to electronic health records
Pennsylvania residents who are concerned about medical malpractice should be aware of the role electronic health records have to play in safety errors. A recent study that was published in Health Affairs investigated electronic health records to determine how they...
Routine back surgery results in accidental kidney removal
A 2017 study using data from the National Practitioner Data Bank found that approximately 4,000 people each year in Pennsylvania and across the United States suffer from surgical "never events." These are surgical mistakes that are entirely preventable. One example is...