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...
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Why 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...
Read MoreSafety Inspectors Find Track Defects Metro Overlooked—Again!
“DC Metro is reliable, punctual and safe,” said no one over the course of this last year. Incidents, such as the smoke accident that caused a passenger death, fires, electrical problems, derailments from track defects and the explosion earlier this month have caused much concern for the safety of Metro’s passengers. Recently, the...
Read MoreRalph Nader On Why We Should Care About Tort ‘Deform’
Ralph Nader is known for being a prominent lawyer, political activist and a five-time presidential candidate. He is also known for becoming the leading crusader for car-safety reform, is the founder of the Public Citizen consumer advocacy group and actively opposes large, unchecked corporate power. Recently, Nader published an article in Harper’s Magazine called...
Read MoreWhy is Going Home Dangerous for Medical Patients?
In October of 2013, a 66-year-old retiree was treated for congestive heart failure. After her treatment, she was discharged with eight prescriptions for continued care, one of which was a diuretic called metolazone. However, instead of metolazone, the pharmacy technician wrote methotrexate on the prescription, a harsh medication usually prescribed to cancer patients. Methotrexate...
Read MoreWill the New “Textalyzer” Prevent Distracted Driving?
“One text or call could wreck it all.” “Words can hurt.” “C U in the ER.” “SMS.MMS.RIP.” “Stop the texts. Stop the wrecks.” “No post is worth a life.” “It can wait.” We’ve all seen at least one of these campaigns against distracted driving. In fact, these campaigns have been so successful, 46...
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