Syracuse Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog

Meridia (sibutramine) is a weight loss drug marketed by Abbott Laboratories. It acts on chemicals in the body that are associated with weight maintenance. In most people, consumption of the drug, which can be taken with or without food, results in a 4 pound weight loss over the course of 4 weeks (when joined with a low calorie diet).

The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it will require that Meridia bottles be labeled with a warning that the drug may increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke, especially in patients with a history of heart problems. The new label will further emphasize how Meridia can cause a heart attack or stroke in people suffering from hypertension, irregular heart beats, or heart failure. If you have had a heart attack while taking Meridia, or if you have had a stroke while taking Meridia, your doctor may have made a medical mistake by prescribing you a drug that was not safe given your history.

If you take Meridia, you should see you doctor on a regular basis so that he or she can monitor your blood pressure and pulse. The drug should not be taken for longer than 2 years.

Continue reading "Heart Attack Warning Added to Meridia To Warn Syracuse Doctors" »

ndian River Central School District, located in Jefferson County, New York just minutes from Fort Drum, recently received a $125,000 grant to combat teenage pregnancy. School administrators plan to use the funds to create programs that will create respect and responsibility when it comes to sexual activity.

Fort Drum (89.2 per 1,000), Evans Mills (78.7 per 1000) and Calcium (93.1 per 1,000) consistently have teenage pregnancy rates that are higher than the New York State average (58.4 per 1,000). According to the North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council, one reason for higher teenage pregnancy rates in Fort Drum is the age of many Fort Drum couples. Statistics show that many Fort Drum soldiers marry young, often at age 18 or 19, and quickly have children. When those children reach age 18 or 19, they too marry and have children, leading to generations of young families.

There are many health risks associated with teenage pregnancy, including labor and delivery complications such as premature delivery and low birth weight babies. Premature delivery can cause cerebral palsy, respiratory and cardiovascular deficits, and disabilities from persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. Other risks include mental retardation and difficulty controlling body temperature or blood sugar levels.

Continue reading "Fort Drum Medical Malpractice Lawyers On North Country Teen Pregnancy " »

Every time a baby is born in an upstate New York hospital, such as Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, New York, Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare in Utica, New York, Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, New York, St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, New York, Oswego Hospital in Oswego, New York, or Auburn Hospital in Auburn, New York, the baby's birth weight is recorded. That data is made available to researchers who study trends in newborn birth weights.

A recent Harvard study reports that newborn birth weights are down in the United States by about 1.8 ounces. Average birth weights now hover around 7 pounds 6 ounces. The decline in baby weight is a positive development as larger babies are at greater risk for birth injuries and birth trauma, such as a shoulder dystocia because a baby's body is too big for the birth canal or where a baby sustains brain damage from a lack of oxygen that leads to cerebral palsy. Macrosomic babies, including large babies because of a failure to diagnose gestational diabetes, are also at greater risk for diabetes and obesity later in life.

Continue reading "Lower Birth Weight Babies Reported By Harvard Study" »

Crouse Hospital recently received the American Stroke Association's 2010 award for Silver-Plus Performance Achievement. The award recognizes Crouse Hospital's commitment to stroke care, including timely recognition of stroke symptoms and prompt treatment by tPA, where appropriate. The hospital's pledge to patients should lead to a lower number of misdiagnosed strokes and permanent disabilities.

Strokes kill more than 100,000 people every year, and are a leading cause of long-term disabilities. 75% of strokes occur in people over age 65. Strokes are more common in women and African Americans. Stroke symptoms include: numbness of face, arm or leg; sudden confusion; vision disturbances; difficulty speaking; absence of coordination; and a "thunderclap" headache.

Nearly 90% of strokes are ischemic, which is where a blood clot prevents blood from flowing. tPA can be used to treat ischemic strokes, provided it is administered quickly. Failure to administer tPA may be due to medical malpractice such as an emergency room error.

Continue reading "Syracuse New York's Crouse Hospital Stroke Errors Low Per American Stroke Association" »

Prostate cancer affects the prostate gland. The prostate gland is part of a man's reproductive system. It is a marble-sized structure that wraps around the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine from the body.

Often, prostate cancer is misdiagnosed as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The symptoms for each are similar, including difficulty urinating, pain when urinating, pain with ejaculation and lower back pain. Prostate cancer can also be associated with incontinence and blood in the urine.

Generally, prostate cancer is treated by radiation therapy or surgical removal of the prostate. That therapy usually takes seven (7) weeks. However, Hematology Oncology Associates of Central New York, based in Syracuse, promises five day treatment with the Cyberknife. Cyberknife is a stereotactic radiosurgery device which allows for very precise removal of prostate cancer.

Continue reading "Syracuse Hematology Oncology Associates Promises 5 Day Prostate Cancer Treatment" »

Prescription medication errors occur every day. Most drug mistakes are harmless; however, the prescription of improper medications can have severe consequences, including coma, stroke and death. In fact, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) one person dies every day because of a medication error.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices, in conjunction with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, recently unveiled the National Alert Network for Serious Medication Errors ("Network"). The Network will notify as many as 35,000 pharmacists and medical professionals every time a medication error is reported. The hope is that notifications will raise institutional awareness about medication errors and, in turn, decrease the number of wrongful deaths caused by prescription drug mistakes.

Abbreviation errors lead to many mistakes in the administration of medication. Examples of common mistakes include confusing Bt (bedtime) with BID (twice daily), 10mg (ten milligrams) with M (risking 100x overdose), and IJ (injection) with IV (intravenous).

Continue reading "Syracuse New York Prescription Drug Mistakes Should Decrease If ISMP Network Is Adopted" »

The Irish High Court ruled that a mother was rendered incontinent due to ob/gyn medical malpractice arising out of the birth of her child. According to reports, the woman sustained internal and external sphincter muscle tears due to forcep use and vacuum use during labor. While double instrumentation was employed to facilitate the delivery, significantly increasing the risk of injury to the mother and baby, the internal sphincter muscle injury went undiagnosed. In turn, the woman was left with incontinent.

Continue reading "Failure To Diagnose Birth Trauma To Sphincter Leaves Mother Incontinent" »

Scoliosis is a musculoskeletal condition which involves curvature of the spine. Signs and symptoms of scoliosis in children include a spine that appears crooked, poor body posture, uneven shoulders, uneven hips, uneven legs and back pain. In extreme cases, scoliosis may also make it difficult for a child to breathe.

If diagnosed early, scoliosis is often treated by wearing a back brace. However, where a pediatrician fails to diagnose scoliosis, or misdiagnoses scoliosis symptoms as growing pains, more aggressive medical care may be necessary to correct the curvature, such as back surgery. Sometimes, the spinal curvature cannot be corrected.

According to a recent study of nearly three hundred children diagnosed with scoliosis, bracing was effective. In fact, the three year success rate for bracing was 80%, as compared to 46% for observation and 39% for electrical stimulation. Available data supports the conclusion that timely diagnosis results in a better outcome.

Continue reading "Failure To Diagnose Scoliosis Delays Bracing In Children" »

Oligohydramnios near term may be an indication for delivery, either by induction or c-section.

During pregnancy, the baby floats inside the placenta in a liquid known as amniotic fluid. The fluid is swallowed by the fetus. It is then excreted by urination. The level of amniotic fluid within the placenta may be a marked for fetal distress. The failure to diagnose low amniotic fluid, or the failure to diagnose too much amniotic fluid, can cause a birth injury due to medical malpractice.

Oligohydramnios is a condition where there is not enough amniotic fluid. It is usually marked by an AFI of less than 6. Hydramnios and Polyhadramnios is a condition where there is too much amniotic fluid. It is usually marked by an AFI of greater than 18. Generally, if there is an appropriate amount of amniotic fluid, a doctor may assume that the baby's kidneys are functioning normally, which usually means that the heart is functioning normally, and on down the line.

Continue reading "Oligohydramnios, Hydramnios and Polyhydramnios: Birth Injuries Relating To Amniotic Fluid" »

In April of 2009, St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center, a Syracuse hospital, received chest pain center certification by the Society of Chest Pain Centers. St. Joseph's Hospital mistakes are expected to decrease with the accreditation because the certification means that the hospital is committed to state-of-the-art care, including prompt identification of a heart attack and quick treatment. The faster that a heart attack is treated, the better the outcome.

A heart attack may not be treated quickly for several reasons. First, many people do not go straight to the hospital after they experience chest pain. On average, most heart attack victims do not arrive in an emergency room until two hours after a heart attack stops. From there, emergency room errors may lead to improper triage and a patient may not see a physician, or specialist such as a cardiologist, for several hours. Where patients are promptly seen by emergency room staff, chest pain due to a heart attack is commonly misdiagnosed as indigestion and patients are frequently sent home without life-saving treatment.

Continue reading "Syracuse Heart Attack Lawyers On St. Joseph's Hospital Chest Pain Accreditation" »

Last week, the New York State Department of Health announced that it was investigating the Oswego Fire Department's ambulance corps for refusing to transport patients.

Syracuse area ambulances are required to take patients somewhere. Usually, to the closest available hospital. Emergency medical personnel are not supposed to make a determination regarding whether a patient needs to go to the hospital - even if they know the patient and his or her condition. According to the Post-Standard, the Department of Health received complaints that the Oswego Fire Department ambulance corps was not transporting patients who were suffering from minor or superficial injuries.

Our search of Court filings did not reveal any Syracuse ambulance lawsuits.

Continue reading "Oswego Ambulance Negligence Subject Of Health Department Investigation" »

The Food and Drug Administration recently released a proposal to modify informed consent rules that apply to clinical trials. If the proposal is adopted, all clinical trials will have to be accompanied by a statement that "clinical trial information for such clinical trial investigations has been or will be submitted to the National Institutes of Health/National Library for inclusion in the clinical trial registry databank."

Informed consent is a legal procedure where a doctor presents a patient with information about a procedure -- including the potential benefit, risks, and available alternatives -- so that the patient can make an informed decision about whether to undergo/forego a test, surgery or clinical trial. A patient must have legal or mental competency to provide informed consent. That is, minors cannot give consent, nor can people who are not competent because of duress, injury, drugs, alcohol, dementia and/or mental retardation. Where a doctor performs a surgery or procedure without securing informed consent he or she may be liable for professional negligence.

Continue reading "Syracuse Surgery Mistake Lawyers Review FDA Informed Consent Rules" »

Upstate University Hospital, a 378 bed facility located in Syracuse, New York, recently secured the LIFENET System for use within the hospital. LIFENET is a computerized system that monitors ECG changes in order to reduce treatment time for patients suffering from a heart attack. More specifically, patients suffering from an ST elevated myocardial infarction, or STEMI. As STEMIs quickly damage heart muscle, they must be diagnosed and treated quickly by emergency room staff. Ideally, within ninety (90) minutes. Where treatment is not administered promptly, whether due to a failure to diagnose a heart attack, hospital negligence, or an inexplicable delay, patients have a less positive outcome.

Percutaneous treatment for heart attacks usually consists of stent placement or angioplasty. Open heart surgery may also be necessary. According to Hani Kozman, M.D., director of the Cardiac Catherization Lab at Upstate Medical University, "[h]aving this new system will enable Upstate University Hospital to better meet the guideline of treatment in 90 minutes or less, as recommended by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology."

LIFENET will notify healthcare providers of the nature of a patient's heart attack. Perhaps even before they arrive at the hospital emergency room. This should reduce door-to-balloon (DTB) time.

Continue reading "Heart Attack Damage To Decrease At Upstate University Hospital With LIFENET" »

A birth injury is damage to a baby during labor and delivery, also known as the birth process. Generally, birth injuries are due to a lack of blood flow (ischemia), a lack of oxygen (hypoxia), acidosis, internal forces (pressure applied by the birth canal), and/or external forces (pressure applied by a healthcare provider). Commonly, a Syracuse birth injury lawsuit is based upon a constellation of medical malpractice, including obstetrician mistakes, obstetrical group errors, and nursing negligence.

There are many risk factors for a birth injury. Risk factors for a birth injury include large-for-date infants, post-date infants, macrosomia, excessive maternal weight gain, gestational diabetes, inadequate pelvis, prolonged labor, rapid labor, and a prior complicated delivery.

Birth injuries can be mild, moderate or severe. Common examples include Erb's palsy, Klumpke's paralysis, cerebral palsy, cranial nerve palsy, facial palsy, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, periventricular leukomalacia, hematomas and fractures.

Continue reading "What Is A Birth Injury And Do They Happen In Central New York?" »

Crouse Hospital, a 506 bed facility located in Syracuse, New York, was fined $10,000.00 by the New York State Department of Health for hospital negligence. Specifically, for failing to thoroughly check the background of an employee who sexually assaulted a mentally disabled patient in 2008.

In 2008, Crouse Hospital used "companions" to sit with patients in need of continuous supervision. It secured the "companions" from a contractor. Before exposing disabled patients to the "companions," Crouse failed to check to see whether the individuals were properly qualified. According to the State -- which issued the maximum fine -- there was no evidence that Crouse Hospital checked backgrounds of the "companions" who, in many cases, were providing care to patients such as inserting suction tubes and assisting with other activities of daily living.

Crouse Hospital no longer uses "companions."

Continue reading "Syracuse Hospital Negligence Results In Fine For Crouse" »