May 09, 2014
A man took his own life after treatments to reduce his chronic back pain from spinal cord injuries produced the opposite effect. Joel Burnette, 40, went to the clinic in Kansas in May 2008 and was given several injections, including an epidural steroid in his lower back. Shortly afterward, he was…
May 05, 2014
Today, May 5, is not only Cinco de Mayo but also Melanoma Monday, a day to raise awareness of the deadly effects of skin cancer.
Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer, affecting nearly one out of every 20 Americans in their lifetime. Freckles, moles and brown spots can be harmless, but…
May 01, 2014
A new study links Viagra to an increased risk of the deadly skin cancer melanoma in men who use the erectile dysfunction medication. The study of nearly 26,000 men with an average age of 65 showed that Viagra users were 84 percent more likely – almost twice as likely -- to develop melanoma. The…
April 02, 2014
What started as a broken ankle resulted in a series of medical mishaps that eventually cost a New York state man his entire leg. According to news reports, Donald Schultz was initially treated for his ankle in late 2004 at the Knee Center of West New York. The ankle was fixed but he suffered an…
March 29, 2014
Dirk Askew, an Army veteran and long-term federal postal worker was awarded $8.3M in a malpractice law suit against The John Cochran VA Hospital. Askew suffered severe brain damage and had his leg amputated after going to Cochran for a routine stent procedure in February 2009.
After the procedure…
March 08, 2014
Bacterial endocarditis is infection and inflammation of the inner surface of the heart. It usually affects the heart valves but can also be present on pacemakers or defibrillators. Endocarditis occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream and attach to an already damaged portion of the heart or…
March 01, 2014
Even though birth is a natural process, unexpected complications, such as a prolapsed umbilical cord, shoulder dystocia, the baby getting wedged in the birth canal, cord around the neck, placental abruption, meconium aspiration or preeclampsia can arise during labor or shortly after delivery. A…
February 26, 2014
The list of the Top 10 medical technology safety hazards was published in the November 2013 issue of Health Devices. Alarm problems and infusion pump medications errors are on the top of the list of hospital problems that need to be addressed. According to the article, the most prevalent medical…
February 18, 2014
When you are the patient in a hospital emergency room, or ER, you expect that you will receive appropriate and proper care by nurses and doctors. Unfortunately, emergency room staff negligence or mistakes can cause patients any number of injuries, including brain damage, respiratory failure, organ…
February 14, 2014
A delay in diagnosing Ewing sarcoma bone cancer can affect prognosis
Ewing sarcoma is a form of malignant bone cancer that is found mostly in children, teenagers and young adults. If the cancer is not diagnosed and promptly treated it could quickly spread to other organs.
Common signs or symptoms…