Blog

Medication error that caused brain damage results in $15M award

Jul 17, 2013

While it is of course unfortunate any time an incident prompting a medical malpractice lawsuit occurs, most would agree it is that much worse when the injured patient is a child. Such injuries often severely impact the way in which that young person will live his or her life. The family of a young girl in another state has had to face that reality. Though the young girl who was injured as a result of...

Study connects pregnancy complications to cerebral palsy

Jul 17, 2013

When preparing for a new child, Pennsylvania parents often do everything they can to ensure that their child will come into the world happy and healthy. One thing pregnant mothers typically do is visit with an OB/GYN doctor to ensure that everything is going according to plan. In the case that doctors notice that there is a complication, they may be able to take steps to ensure the health of both the mother and child...

Monitor alarms alone, not enough to keep patients safe

Jul 12, 2013

When someone is a patient at a hospital many individuals interact with them in the course of their stay. These individuals do things such as perform procedures, administer tests, check vitals and disburse medication. Of all of those individuals, it is nurses who spend the most time with the patients. Because each nurse has multiple patients to attend to however, they are not able to be with them all the time. To help keep tabs...

Are shorter intern shifts a good thing?

Jul 12, 2013

For years, the number of hours recent graduates of medical school could put in on a shift as interns were debated. A couple of years ago, that number was slashed, from 30 hours to 16. Among other things, the reasoning behind the change was that it would was harmful to patients to have inexperienced doctors providing treatment on so little sleep. The belief was that the long shifts led to an increase in the number...

Woman diagnosed as brain dead actually alive

Jul 10, 2013

Most would agree that organ donation is a worthwhile endeavor. While there are times that someone who is living may decide to donate an organ that they have no need for, such as a kidney, most organ donations in Pennsylvania, as well as other states, involve a donor who is brain dead and being kept alive via machines so that his or organs can be harvested and implanted in the person who is ailing. Most...

Many occupants of airplane suffered spinal injuries in crash

Jul 10, 2013

Earlier this week it was difficult for anyone in the nation, including residents of western Pennsylvania, to escape coverage of the plane crash that occurred at one of our nation’s airports. An airplane that was in the process of landing, crashed as it made its arrival. The incident left two teens dead. Though the other 305 occupants of the plane survived, many were seriously injured. According to doctors who are attending to the injured passengers,...

Train derailment leaves at least 5 dead, 40 missing

Jul 9, 2013

There is no question that trains play an important role in our society. In addition to providing transportation to humans from one location to another, they also are regularly used to move products across the country, even the continent. While in many cases these voyages are made without incident, at times accidents do occur. It is likely that many in the Pittsburgh area have heard about the catastrophic incident that took place north of the...

Silenced medical device alarms growing problem in hospitals

Jul 9, 2013

Nurses are among some of the most skilled and caring of all medical professionals. Not only do nurses often play an integral role in emergency rooms and surgical settings, but they are also a hospital's main caregivers and most-visible point of contact for patients. The majority of nurses are highly skilled professionals who readily rely upon years of training and experience while attending to patients. Modern medicine and technology has greatly improved patient care and...

Summer months prove most dangerous for Ohio children and teens

Jul 8, 2013

All school year, Ohio school children eagerly await the warmer weather and summer vacation. For many, the warmer temperatures and time away from school bring trips to the local swimming pool, summer family vacations and spending time outdoors. While the summer months are most often associated with fun, they are also the time when most school-aged children sustain serious injuries. In Ohio, more school-aged children are injured and killed during the summer months than during...

Confusion may arise with changing appearance of generic drugs

Jul 5, 2013

Prescription drugs cost residents of the state of Pennsylvania large amounts of money each year. To try to combat the high prices, when possible, so people opt for the generic version. When taken correctly these drugs should do the same thing as those sold under the usually much more expensive brand name. While the drugs may do the same thing as the others, there is one way in which they are likely different–appearance. There is...