Medicine Information |
|
Medical Error Crisis
The unfortunate truth about medical errors is that they plague the poor and uninsured, reflecting the great medical inequality in our country. For those who do not consider medical errors to be a problem, consider this: medical errors kill between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans every year. This reflects the fact that medical errors kill more people per year than breast cancer, AIDS, or motor vehicle accidents. Doctors complain of inflated medical malpractice insurace costs, but medication-related errors for hospitalized patients cost around $2 billion annually. The 41 million uninsured Americans exhibit consistently worse clinical outcomes than insured patients with the same maladies and are at increased risk for dying prematurely. Only 55% of patients in a recent random sample of adults received recommended care in treatments and preventative treatments, and the lag between the discovery of a new medicine and its adoption by doctors is 17 years. You could suffer from an ailment and not receive the proper treatment simply because your doctor is not well educated about treatments that were invented almost two decades ago! The problem is not restricted to administering too little medication. Every year millions of people are unnecessarily hospitalized. Using excessive, unnecessary antibiotics to kill infections outright is a widespread practice that, while curing individual patients, cause strains of a disease to mutate and grow stronger, resulting in more serious infections for the entire population. In 1993, excessive antibiotics were prescribed in 20 million cases, and by now that number has multiplied. Adverse drug reactions, procedural errors, and nosocomial infections are all aspects of medical error. Surveys have found that medical error is the norm in many instances. Medical error actually occurs in the majority of patients suffering from diabetes, hypertension, tobacco addiction, hyperlipidemia, congestive heart failure, asthma, depression, and atrial fibrillation. If you have any reason to believe that your doctors have administered an inappropriate treatment, prescribed unnecessary hospitalization, or otherwise jeopardized your wellbeing, consult a lawyer right away. If you have more questions, contact a medical error attorney or read about other medical malpractice cases at http://www.hugesettlements.com. If you use this article, please include these links.
|
RELATED ARTICLES
New Company Helps Another Medical Condition Become: ?Acceptable? Dinner Conversation Recently once taboo subjects like plastic surgery have become acceptable dinner conversation. Medical conditions are no longer whispered to friends, but have instead become part of the dinner table conversation with full blown discussions on Botox, erectile dysfunction and the feared colonoscopy. However recently there is a new kid on the block, well maybe not so new, it's actually plain old heel pain. You might ask why is this happening? Why is it so important now? After all heel pain for the most part won't kill you. Medical Testing: Health By The Numbers Doesnt Work Perhaps one of the most insidious dangers in modern technology is medical testing. Although it would be nice to be able to visit our doctor and get all hooked up with electrodes, inflatable cuffs, probes, needles and catheters and have a read-out telling us exactly how we are working and where there is a problem, that is a myth, not the reality. Pain in the Butt. How to Deal with Hemorrhoids? This is very sensitive area of your body. Too private. Nobody likes when something is wrong over there. However it happens. Check Out The Wonders Of Tea Tree Oil Tea tree oil is the essential oil comes from the Australian plant Melaleuca alternifolia. This species is unique to Australia and native to Northern New South Wales. This tree has very strong therapeutic and medicinal values which are found in its oil, which is obtained through steam distillation from the leaves of the tea tree. It has powerful antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal properties, making it very versatile. This is why some people have called it the "wonder oil for the skin from down under." Another neat fact about tea tree oil is that it is the only essential oil, except for lavender, that can be applied directly to the skin without a carrier oil. This aboriginal Australian traditional medicine is used for bruises, insect bites, and skin infections. Since tea tree oil is a strong 100% pure concentrate, very little is needed to achieve results. Therefore, it should be used very sparingly. Tea tree oil contains 48+ compounds, with the main 1 beiing terpinen-4-ol. This is what is responsible for tea tree oil's antibacterial and antifungal properties. Christopher Reeve To Have Promoted Basement Lab Chrisopher Reeve has died. But his vision of a "Cure" has not. Mr. Reeve, who became a quadripilegic after a horse riding accident in 1995, was best known as advocate for stem cell research which promises cures for spinal cord injuries. Shortly before his death he had planned to get behind a little known biotech driven offshore By President Bush's restrictions on stem cell research. The "Cure" didn't reach Christopher Reeve in time. But a cure for the paralysis that plagued the star ?and ultimately led to his death may be in the test tubes in a basement lab in a small carribean island. Over The Counter Drugs: How To Safely Choose The Right Medication What Medication Can Cure Me? Doc, My Tummy Aches and My Joints Hurt! Is there a connection? Inflammatory disease of the bowel- regional enteritis (Crohn's disease) and ulcerative colitis- are often associated with arthritis. This occurs because inflammation in the bowel and the joints may share a common immunological abnormality. Prescription Drug Side Effects: Treating From The Outside Or The Inside? Throughout time there have always been two opposing points of view as to how to maintain good health, or how to regain it after having lost it. This conflict has continued since ancient times .... and no doubt will continue well into the future. Acid Reflux ? Symptoms and Treatment Acid reflux (also known as GERD or heartburn) is a common condition -- Over 60 million Americans experience it at least once a month. Study Confirms IBS Improvement Irritable bowel syndrome is a debilitating and distressing condition, which affects 10-20% of the population. IBS is characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel function such as constipation, diarrhea or alternating diarrhea and constipation. Some people have occasional symptoms, which can be aggravated by stress or food intolerances. Others experience crippling symptoms, and struggle to maintain their quality of life in the absence of any targeted, effective pharmaceutical treatments. Melatonin, Sleep Enhancement, and ADHD Overview Melatonin is a natural hormone, which is produced and secreted by the pineal gland. Melatonin plays an important role in the regulation of many hormones in the body. Among its key roles, melatonin controls the body's circadian rhythm, an internal 24-hour time-keeping system that controls when we fall asleep and when we wake up. How Is Mold Like AIDS? Don't laugh. Both get a lot of coverage in the press. Mold isn't a politically sensitive issue but there are a lot of similarities. You Are Getting Very Sleepy....The Truth about Hypnosis A hypnotic "trance" is not something that is foreign to us--we've all been so absorbed in thought while reading a book or watching a movie that we fail to notice what is happening around us. These focused states of attention are similar to hypnosis. Simply put, when our minds are concentrated and focused, we are able to use them more powerfully. In this condition, we can tap into normally unused mental powers to create new possibilities of experience. Defective Heart Defibrillators Recalled by Guidant Corporation On June17, 2005 Guidant Corporation recalled close to 50,000 heart defibrillators worldwide because of potential malfunctions that could cause injury or death. This recall comes in the wake of two recent deaths among patients who were implanted with Guidant defibrillators. It is believed that Guidant Corporation failed to inform doctors and patients that the defibrillators contained a defect that could cause them to short-circuit. Stop Taking Blood Pressure Medications with Your Doctors Approval I have been swallowing three varieties of blood pressure pills for 10 years. In another month, I expect to be off of them entirely. And that's with my doctor's approval. Latest Medical Spa Equipment Showcased at New York Medical Spa Expo This year, the New York Medical Spa Expo confirmed the Medical Spa industry is continuing to grow. "Not only did thousands of Spa and Medical Spa owners visit this year's show, but we also saw the release of some new and noteworthy equipment perfect for the medical spa environment" says Jeff Russell, the CEO of MedSpa Financing. Marketing Authorisation - Medicinal Products Marketing Authorisation: Medicinal Products The case of R (on the application of Merck Sharp and Dohme Ltd) v Licensing Authority [2005], concerned the application for marketing authorisation for a generic product which was based on Product C (see below). The Neurological Exam: Evaluating the Master Organ How does a mind contemplate itself? That's a philosophical question I'll leave to minds smarter than mine, but what I can tell you is how to examine the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Web Therapy: Enhancing Patient Communication with Web Access According to Jennifer Lyons' chart, she's just a bad slip and fall who's lucky enough to be on her way to a full recovery. A Fresh Start Plan for People With Neck Pain! "If you have to deal with chronic neck pain, it can be a real struggle. I know? because I've had to do it myself," states Dr. Nathan Wei, a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of The Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. |
home | site map |
© 2005 |