Injury Law Report

Patients have been injured by taking the wrong medication simply because, in some instances, the doctor or other health professional's handwriting could not be read. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices reports that some abbreviations are more likely to be misinterpreted, misunderstood or simply written incorrectly than others. For this reason, it recommends that some medication abbreviations never be used by health professionals. Here's a chart that provides a list of abbreviations that should not be used by doctors. Click here. 

Doctors and pharmacists often rely on the use of standard abbreviations in prescribing medication for their patients. But check out these most common abbreviation errors that can cause injury and death to unsuspecting patients:

Despite the health care industry's increasing reliance on technology, medication errors still causes significant injury --- and sometimes death --- to unsuspecting patients.

Is the Obama administration moving too slowly on reforms that would reduce sexual abuse and rape in U.S. prisons? A recent study from its own Department of Justice reports a "very high rate of staff sexual misconduct" against juvenile inmates. It cites two facilities in Virginia and one in Maryland, among others.

British stroller maker Maclaren failed to inform government regulators for 5 years about the danger of its strollers. The company has known for some time that the stroller hinges could cause serious injuries to the fingers of children.

According to recent press reports, the British stroller maker Maclaren knew for at least 5 years that its strollers could cut the tips off --- or completely amputate ---  a child's fingers, but did nothing to alert the federal watchdog Consumer Products Safety Commission until very recently. 

It’s the entire hospital’s responsibility…and particularly the operating room team handling surgeries routinely…to ensure that foreign objects are not left inside of patients after surgery. Yes, it does occur. It’s rare, but leaving a sponge inside a patient after an operation is one of those errors that simply should not happen. 

Doctors leaving sponges inside patients after surgery? Does this really happen? Yes, and unfortunately, is not as unusual as you think. Some studies suggest that about 1,500 people in U. S. medical facilities have objects accidentally left inside them after surgery. Others suggest it could be higher --- as many as 3000 to 5000 cases yearly. The most common object left behind? Sponges. Amounting to about 2/3 of the surgical objects left inside of patients, these sponges can lead to pain, infection, bowel obstructions, problems in healing, longer hospital stays, additional surgeries and, in rare cases, death.

Given the present Salmonella outbreak, the CDC recommends a few simple precautions to be taken while preparing foods.