A recent analysis of U.S. crash data by the journal BMJ Open Access shows wheelchair users are 36 percent more likely to die in crashes with cars compared to pedestrians not bound to wheelchairs. The study, conducted by experts at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., began by reviewing data from the National Highway...
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Are Deadly Medical Errors Being Hidden From Patients?
In 1995, a wrongful death lawsuit was brought against a Maryland surgeon by the family of a dead patient, stating he botched a gallbladder surgery and failed to treat the complications that followed. The doctor denied the claims, saying he complied with the standards of care. In 2007, another patient brought a medical...
Read MoreHow ‘Alarm Fatigue’ is Hurting Hospital Patients
A recent study from a consultant from Johns Hopkins University shows that almost half of the alarms that go off in hospitals are not responded to in a timely manner. The study shows that approximately 93 percent of alarms that sound in hospitals are not necessarily medically urgent situations, and as a result, nursing...
Read MoreWhy are These Two Drivers Facing 20-Year Prison Sentences?
In 2013, two drivers arrived at a gas station near the Capital Beltway, one in a brand new Chevy Camaro, the other in a Volkswagen Passat. When they left the gas station, the two began to rev their engines at each other and eventually engaged in an illegal street race down Georgia Avenue. At...
Read MoreIs a Hospital Acquired Infection Grounds for Medical Malpractice?
Earlier this month, a patient visited the emergency room to undergo what was supposed to be a straightforward outpatient procedure. Three days later, he found himself back in the emergency room with searing pain and a leg swollen more than twice the normal size. Once admitted, the patient was told he had a very...
Read MoreWhy Car Crashes Should No Longer Be Called “Accidents”
Deaths caused by car accidents are increasing rapidly. However, a large number of safety advocates are trying to change how we’ve thought about car “accidents” for more than 100 years by clarifying car accidents caused by human error are not accidents. These safety advocates believe that calling deaths that result from collisions, crashes, drunk...
Read MoreWhy Has Little Progress Been Made to Prevent Medical Errors?
A recent interview with OR Excellence speaker Kenneth P. Rothfield, MD, MBA, CPE and CPPS talks about how patient safety has not improved in the last 54 years, despite the many medical advancements made. According to a study we mentioned in a previous blog, more than 400,000 people die each year in the U.S....
Read MoreMetro is On Fire… And Not in a Good Way
Where there’s smoke, there’s a Metro fire. In Metro’s case, this can mean delays, shut downs, injuries and death. Just last year, a smoke incident injured 91 passengers and killed one after a train stopped in the middle of a smoke-filled tunnel. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded its investigation on the incident...
Read MoreWhat is the Third Leading Cause of Death in America?
You’ve come across medical horror stories floating around online where patients wake up on the table during surgery, a doctor removes the wrong organ, the wrong patient receives a surgery or medical equipment is just left inside a patient. You assume those are freak accidents and that type of fatal medical error could never...
Read MoreWhy You Should Be Worried About Superbugs
A citywide study recently took place examining the prevalence of “superbugs,” which are antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Disturbingly, some of the more infectious strains have been found in Washington, D.C. hospitals hiding within certain patients known as “silent carriers.” The study included the Children’s National Medical Center, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington University Hospital and...
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