Without question, some of the more common — and pernicious — dangers in a hospital setting are bloodstream infections. For those unfamiliar with this condition, it frequently occurs when hospital staff fails to follow proper sterilization procedures and/or implement the necessary infection control strategies. Those unfortunate to be stricken with a blood stream infection often […]
Every year, thousands of children here in the United States are diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a devastating condition that can cause a host of medical problems ranging from vision, hearing and speech problems to muscle spasms, muscle stiffness and mobility issues. For those who are relatively unfamiliar with cerebral palsy, it may be somewhat shocking […]
The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority — the independent state agency “charged with taking steps to reduce and eliminate medical errors by identifying problems and recommending solutions that promote patient safety” — recently concluded a rather alarming study concerning the prevalence of patient safety incidents related to electronic medical records here in the Keystone State. Researchers […]
Urine infections are very common and easy to diagnose and treat. Some people are prone to getting urine infections and never develop sepsis. They go to their doctor and are placed on an antibiotic that results in the urine infection going away. If the urine infection is not treated with antibiotics or the right antibiotics […]
In our previous post, we discussed how highly trained medical professionals — physicians, pharmacists and nurses — are frequently confusing clobazam and clonazepam, a very serious medication error that could potentially result in a small child being administered the wrong dosage of a very strong sedative. The unfortunate reality is that clobazam and clonazepam are […]
When germs or bacteria enter the bloodstream and turns into sepsis, it is a medical emergency that can quickly lead to death. Bacteria can get into the blood stream due to a cut or scrape on the skin, urinary tract infection (UTI) or a respiratory infection. It is critical to the survival of the patient that […]
Parents of children suffering from serious medical conditions are undoubtedly preoccupied with providing as much comfort and care as possible to their children. As such, it’s understandable that they simply don’t have the time to manage every facet of their child’s medical care and instead choose to place their trust in the abilities of doctors, […]
Sepsis kills close to a quarter of a million people each year. It is a health epidemic that when recognized is successfully treated with antibiotics and fluids. The cure for sepsis when recognized is basic medicine. The problem is that sepsis is frequently missed. One of the reasons that it is missed is that the […]
One of the unfortunate realities of life in a well-populated area is that going to the emergency room for treatment can sometimes prove to be a difficult — and downright frightening –proposition. The reason? The sheer number of patients coupled with limited staff and a limited number of beds can sometimes make for a very […]
If a loved one was seriously injured or struck with a life-threatening illness and was receiving medical care from multiple teams of specialists, chances are very good that you would feel much more hopeful about their prospects for recovery. This is because you would naturally assume that these teams would communicate and coordinate their care […]
