Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Blog

When a severe allergic reaction causes blood pressure to plunge or the airways to close, a dose of epinephrine can make all the difference in survival. A recent study has revealed a frightening fact that caregivers are often too slow to reach for an EpiPen, the brand name for the device that dispenses epinephrine. According to the study, when children who experience serious allergy attacks with anaphylaxis, parents, teachers, other caregivers, and emergency responders failed to administer epinephrine. This occurred with children who experienced anaphylactic reactions in the past and were prescribed an epinephrine injector. The study analyzed more than 400 patient records for children and young adults, with a median age of seven, and found that only 36 percent » Read More

A recent study found that patients with Alzheimer’s who experience psychosis – which may include delusions and hallucinations – are more likely to be misdiagnosed. In fact, they are a staggering five times more likely to be misdiagnosed as compared to those patients who do not suffer psychosis. Alzheimer’s and Dementia with Lewy Bodies are Different Here is how the two differ: Alzheimer’s is identified by protein deposits in the brain, including twisted fibers found inside brain cells Dementia with Lewy Bodies is believed to be caused by the buildup of a different abnormal protein aggregate that is found in nerve cells in the brain Researchers are working to create effective treatments for both of these diseases, but experts believe » Read More

Patients go to hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities to heal, but they may be putting themselves at risk in ways they do not anticipate.  Preventable diseases such as Legionnaires’ disease can be spread easily in hospitals and nursing homes, infecting patients who are already vulnerable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report highlighting the danger of Legionnaires’ disease and the need for stricter safety standards for hospital water systems. The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report examined data from cases of Legionnaires’ disease in 2015 where 6,079 cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported in the United States in 2015. The CDC report focused on 2,809 reported in 20 states and New York » Read More

Legionnaires’ Disease was discovered in 1976 when it infected 221 people at an American Legion convention in a Philadelphia hotel, resulting in 34 fatalities.  Symptoms of this bacterial form of pneumonia may include chills, fever, cough, and headaches. In addition to hotels, cases of Legionnaires’ Disease have been documented at gyms and health care facilities. Infection has even occurred to infants after water births. Legionnaires’ Disease is spread through contaminated water containing the Legionella bacteria, not person to person. Low levels are common in lakes, streams, and ponds, which pose a very low risk. However, when concentrations of the organism grow in water systems, such as water heaters, cooling towers, or in warm, stagnant waters, the risk can increase significantly. » Read More

Fentanyl is the most powerful opioid ever mass-marketed. It is powerful enough to quell pain that other drugs cannot. It is available in a variety of easy-to-deliver methods, including patches and lollipops. However, most significant of all is the fact that a dose of fentanyl the size of a grain of sand can be fatal. Originally designed to ease the pain of terminal cancer patients, fentanyl is now claiming lives at the rate of an epidemic. In New Jersey, fentanyl can be prescribed after something as simple as tonsil removal. Today, fentanyl is being prescribed for reasons that are way beyond its original intended use. Doctors treating something as minor as a child’s cold or a bad knee can prescribe » Read More

Every month, there is an equal chance of fatal medication errors occurring in hospitals throughout the United states. A recent study discovered that fatal medication errors rose by 10 percent in counties with a high number of teaching hospitals, but remained consistent in areas without. The study, which was performed using computerized fatality certificates, ruled out medication fatalities that were caused by unexpected allergic reactions, as well as medication fatalities that occurred outside of the hospital. However, little detailed information was contained in the death certificates and no direct link has yet been established. It is assumed that this spike in medication error fatalities is due to the influx of interns that happen in teaching hospitals in July. It is » Read More