Syracuse Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog

A malpractice claims analysis was recently published by CNY HealthPro, in conjunction with the Nurses Service Organization. The analysis reviewed nurse practitioner lawsuit claims data in an effort to increase medico-legal awareness, decrease nurse practitioner malpractice and prevent patient injuries from nurse practitioner mistakes.

According to Syracuse New York nurse practitioner error lawyers Bottar Leone, PLLC, nurse practitioners are increasingly becoming the focus of malpractice cases because of the growing role they play in dispensing medical care. According to the HealthPro/NSO report, the highest number of claims against nurse practitioners arose out of care provided in the medical care office. Nurse practitioner specialties with the most claims against them included adult/geriatric NPs, family NPs, and pediatric/neonatal NPs. The most severe claims -- meaning those with the most significant injury to the claimant -- conerned care that was or should have been provided by a pediatric/neonatal nurse practitioner. The largest settled claims involved a pediatric/neonatal NP's failure to diagnose.

Continue reading "Nurse Practitioner Errors Reviewed By Central New York Medical Malpractice Laywers: Most Severe In Pediatric/Neonatal Specialties" »

A recent National Institutes of Health panel announced that VBACs are not as dangerous as once believed, and that OBGYNS should reduce the barriers to women who want to try vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC). According to Central New York uterine rupture lawyers Bottar Leone, PLLC, VBACs are still dangerous.

In 1980, the NIH released a similar report, in which it encouraged doctors to permit vaginal deliveries after a prior cesarean section incision has weakened a pregnant mother's uterus, exposing her to increased risk for rupture and hemorrhaging. VBACs rose through the 1990s from 3% to 23%, but have decreased in frequency since 1996, to 8.5% in 2006. In 1999, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) revised its guidelines to practitioners from "encouraging" VBACs to pregnant mothers, to "offering" VBACs as an "option." Shortly thereafter, as many as 30% of hospitals prohibited VBAC deliveries.

While encouraging more VBACs, the NIH panel conceded there was "moderate evidence" of a "clear increased risk of uterine rupture in trial of labor compared to an elective repeat cesarean delivery" and noted that uterine rupture "can be catastrophic and remains the most dreaded short-term complication of a trial of labor."

In terms of risks to an unborn baby, the NIH panel found "moderate evidence" of "increased perinatal mortality and low-grade evidence of increased fetal mortality." It concluded that there was "insufficient data on the incidence of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in cases of VBAC versus repeat cesarean sections." Hypoxia and ischemia can lead to cerebral palsy.

Continue reading "Study Will Make Central New York VBACs More Available Despite Risk Of Uterine Rupture and Baby Brain Damage" »

With Spring comes more sunshine and more time outdoors for Central New York residents, including children living in Syracuse, Ithaca, Oswego, Utica, Rome, Herkimer, Watertown and Binghamton. At the same time, more time outdoors means more exposure to Lyme Disease. Syracuse New York Lyme Disease lawyers Bottar Leone, PLLC, warn residents to check their arms and legs for ticks!

Lyme Disease is a largely tick-borne disease that is passed to humans through a bug bite, which is usually followed by a rash and/or bulls eye shaped red mark. Additional signs and symptoms include a flu-like feeling, fever, chest congestion, headache, nausea, and joint pain. Unfortunately, a Lyme Disease rash is often misdiagnosed as poison ivy or ringworm. Other symptoms are commonly confused with the flu or a musculoskeletal injury.

The failure to diagnose Lyme Disease can have devastating consequences, including brain damage due to meningitis, heart damage due to infective endocarditis, Lyme arthritis and Bells' Palsy. Generally, Lyme Disease is diagnosed by a blood test and, if positive, is treated with either oral or intravenous amoxicillin (depending upon the stage of the disease).

Continue reading "Failure To Diagnose Lyme Disease Can Cause Meningitis and Palsy In Syracuse New York" »

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn is a very serious condition where a baby's circulatory system does not adapt properly to life outside of the womb. While in utero, a fetus obtains oxygen from the placenta through the umbilical cord. Because there is no real need for the lungs before a baby is born, a fetus maintains high lung pressure which causes blood to steer away from the lungs and toward other developing organs via a "switch" known as the ductus arteriosis.

After birth, a baby needs to breathe. In babies with PPHN, the ductus arteriosis does not close on day one of life, leaving blood directed away from the lungs and low blood oxygen levels. While many babies suffer from PPHN due to a birth injury, according to Binghamton New York birth injury lawyers Bottar Leone, PLLC, a recent study also links PPHN to maternal consumption of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Symbyaxm Celexa, Cymbalta, Effexor and Lexapro.

The study reported a shocking statistic. That is, that women who took SSRIs during their third trimester were six times more like to deliver a baby diagnosed with PPHN after birth (usually within 12 hours, if not sooner). A failure to diagnose persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn can result in damage to a baby's brain, kidneys and liver. Many babies with PPHN are diagnosed with cerebral palsy secondary to PPHN oxygen deprivation.

Continue reading "Syracuse New York Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension Of The Newborn Lawyers Survey Connection To Birth Injury and SSRIs" »

Gestational diabetes is a condition where a pregnant woman develops high blood sugar levels, or diabetes, during pregnancy. As many as 1 in 25 women experience some degree of gestational diabetes as pregnancy hormones block the action of naturally produced insulin. Insulin is the chemical the body uses to break down sugar in the blood.

According to Syracuse New York gestational diabetes lawyers Bottar Leone, PLLC, well-known blood sugar level benchmarks may soon be revised in order to better diagnose and treat women diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy. Soon to be released revised guidelines will result in more women carrying the diagnosis of gestational diabetes, as well as better care for blood glucose levels which may pose a threat the health and safety of a mother and her unborn fetus.

Historically, a fasting blood sugar level of 92 mg/dL was considered "safe," as was a one-hour level of 180 mg/dL and a two-hour level of 153 mg/dL. New standards will set the bar much lower. Medical intervention at lower maternal blood glucose levels should reduce the number of premature deliveries, shoulder dystocias due to big babies, and a high blood pressure condition called preeclampsia. A failure to diagnose preeclampsia can cause maternal heart failure, and death.

The failure to diagnose gestational diabetes can have serious consequences, including maternal or fetal death, maternal or fetal heart damage, Erb's palsy, cerebral palsy, polycythemia, jaundice and hypocalcemia.

Continue reading "Watertown New York Women With Gestational Diabetes At Risk For Preeclampsia, Palsy And Birth Injury" »

Normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. A baby born before 37 weeks is considered a preterm delivery. A baby born before 32 weeks is considered very premature. According to Syracuse New York premature birth injury lawyers Bottar Leone, PLLC, preterm deliveries are on the rise for women who conceive through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplsmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Danish researchers recently published the results of a study of births from 1989 through 2006. Of the 730 babies born to women who underwent IVF or ICSI, 8% were born premature and 1.5% were born very premature, compared to 5% and 0.06%, respectively, for women who conceived "naturally."

There are many health risks for premature babies. Some premies are born with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and need to be on a mechanical ventilator for the first few weeks of life. Other premature baby diagnoses include intraventricular hemorrhaging (bleeding in a baby's brain following birth), periventricular leukolamacia (baby brain damage), cerebral palsy, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (when a baby needs oxygen after 36 weeks), or retinopathy of prematurity (due to abnormal blood vessels in the eyes). In addition to any of the above problems, premature babies are also predisposed to learning disabilities, problems with their hearing and vision, blindness, deafness, and mental retardation. More often than not, however, premature babies grow up with no problems whatsoever.

Continue reading "New York Preterm Birth Injury Lawyer On In-Vitro Fertilization" »

A recent study of Medicaid patients reveals that the better a patient follows a blood pressure medication prescription, the lower the patient's risk of stroke and, ultimately death.

According to North Country medical malpractice lawyers Bottar Leone, PLLC, patients who took just one more pill (a week) decreased their risk of stroke by nearly 10%, and their risk of death by around 7%. Most of the nearly 50,000 patients in the study were on two blood pressure medications; however, some were taking as many as six. Roughly 60% of the patients did not fill their prescriptions 80% of the time. These patients, known as non-adherent patients, were .5% more like to die over a five-year period.

There are many different types of blood pressure medications. Diuretics, such as Amiloride, Bumetanide, Chlorothiazide, Chlorthalidone, Furosemide, Indapamide and Spironolactone, decrease blood pressure by causing the body to purge excess fluids and sodium. Angiotensin Converting Enzymes (ACE) inhibitors, such as Benazepril, Captopril, Enalapril, Fosinopril, Lisinopril and Moexipril, decrease blood pressure by allowing blood to flow more freely, which makes the heart's job easier. Beta blockers, such as Acebutolol, Atenolol, Betaxolol, Bisoprolol, Carteolol, Metaprolol, Nadolol and Sotaolol, decrease blood pressure by decreasing heart rate and cardiac output.

Continue reading "Watertown New York Stroke Misdiagnosis Lawyers Recommend Taking Blood Pressure Pills" »