Category Archives: standard of care

Medical Error Caused by Prevalent and Pervasive Surgeon Fatigue

In a study conducted by the Massachusetts Hospital and reported in the Archives of Surgery researchers found that surgery residents were often suffering from fatigue. In fact the findings suggest that fatigue plays a significant role in medical error. Fatigue Level can be on par with Alcohol Impairment The researchers found that orthopedic surgical residents [Read more]

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Pathology Errors Continue at Windsor Hospitals

On May 4 2012 Windsor Regional Hospital announced the occurrence of a sentinel event related to procedures in its pathology department. Windsor regional hospitals have a well documented history of pathology errors in the reading of test result reports leading to unnecessary surgery. After a well publicized incident of unnecessary surgery 3 years ago at [Read more]

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Wrong Level Spine Surgery

Wrong Level Spine Surgery Studied by the Harvard Medical School Wrong level spine surgery it turns out is a continuing problem in neurosurgery notwithstanding the introduction of surgical protocols and pre-operative imaging meant to reduce its incidence. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by authors in the Department of Neurosurgery at Brigham and [Read more]

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Medical Negligence Claims Shown to Improve Patient Safety

Medical negligence claims are the subject of a vigorous debate in the United States. The debate has malpractice attorneys and patient rights groups on one side and doctors and well funded small c conservative lobby groups on the other. The two sides are engaged in a death grip over the question of whether medical malpractice [Read more]

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Twelve Hospital Negligence Errors

Hospital  Negligence Hospitals play a prominent part in our lives because of the care they provide in times of need. Very often they are landmarks in the communities in which we live. Their location provides a grounding and sense of orientation. When we arrive at a hospital for our own sake or that of a [Read more]

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Failure to Diagnose Cancer Cases Explained

One of the most difficult situations we find ourselves in is when we are being consulted by someone who has contracted a terminal case of cancer that was not diagnosed at a time when medical treatment could have provided a cure. When the failure to diagnose occurred as a result of medical negligence or malpractice [Read more]

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Sudbury Regional Hospital Emergency Department Performance Worsening

In a development that is concerning for proper patient care Carol Mulligan of the Sudbury Star has published a story on a report made to the board of directors of Sudbury Regional Hospital about the hospital’s performance in relation to the provincial wait time strategy for emergency department rooms. She quotes David McNeil, vice-president of [Read more]

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Surgeons and Referring Physicians are Responsible for Wrong Site and Patient Procedures

A revealing report of an analysis of a prospective physician insurance database containing 27,370 physician self-reported adverse occurrences in the state of Colorado from January 1, 2002, to June 1, 2008 has appeared in the Archives of Surgery Journal. The study which was looking only for certain surgical events found that a total of 25 [Read more]

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Surgeons Can Do More to Reduce the Risk of Infection

Recently Alberta surgeons were surveyed to determine if they followed four evidence based recommendations aimed at reducing surgical site infections. The guidelines were issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in 1999. Three that are accepted as essential practice ask surgeons and their team members to: Remove body hair, if necessary, with clippers, not [Read more]

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Joint Commission Alert: Prevent Blood Thinner Deaths and Overdoses: Anticoagulant therapy linked to high rate of errors

The Joint Commission issued a new Sentinel Event Alert that urges greater attention to the dangers associated with anticoagulants, life-saving medications that present serious risks when administered incorrectly or in error. Patients being treated with these medications must be closely monitored and screened for drug and food interactions, given that commonly used anticoagulants such as [Read more]

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Vaccine Risk Declarations and Nurses

On September 3 2008 the Ontario Court of Appeal in Morgan v. Toronto (City), 2008 ONCA 603 affirmed the judgment of Madame Justice Mary A. Sanderson holding that the standard of care to be provided by a public health nurse was that of a prudent and diligent nurse in the same circumstances. This standard requires a [Read more]

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Higher Standards in Hospital Policies

In the decision Latin v. Hospital for Sick Children, 2007 CanLII 34 (ON S.C.) released January 3 2007 the Ontario Superior Court of Justice reviewed the issue of what weight is to be given to hospital policies and any failure to adhere to them in assessing whether hospital staff is negligent. In this case the [Read more]

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Medical Research Under Scrutiny

On August 8 2006 Mr. Justice Browne of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued a decision with wide reaching implications for policy makers and researchers in the health care field. The relevant facts are: The plaintiff was diagnosed with having Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when she was a young child.  In February 1995, the plaintiff [Read more]

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