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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…