San Diego Personal Injury Lawyer - Medical Malpractice

Medical Malpractice: Waiting In E.R. Can Be Deadly

Randy Walton — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:05:21 GMT

When 33-year-old Christopher Jones experienced pain in his chest and left arm he did what most people would do, he went to the hospital. When arrived at the Emergency Department he was told to wait until it was his turn.

Mr. Jones waited and waited, for more than three hours, the he stepped outside and collapsed on the pavement. A few minutes later he was dead. Is this a wrongful death?

According to the L.A. Times, the county's Department of Health Services has launched its own investigation into Jones' death and placed on administrative leave the nurse who initially assessed him, county officials said.
County coroner's officials said they need to conduct more tests before determining the cause of death. The county health department declined to comment, citing patient confidentiality, but other county officials confirmed the details of the case to The Times.
Medical records reviewed by The Times show the Olive View triage nurse never wrote down basic details about Jones' complaints, including the location of his chest pain or how bad it was. Those symptoms are key to determining how the hospital should respond.

It's too early to tell if the hospital will be liable for the death, but the indications are it failed to follow normal protocols for people who are complaint of chest pain. The American College of Cardiology strongly advises hospitals to perform an EKG within 10 minutes of a patient's arrival at an emergency department if there are complaints of chest pain. According to reports, that was not done here.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Randy Walton

Do Doctor's White Coat and Tie Cause Infection?

Randy Walton — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:36:45 GMT

It was reported, hospitals are banning neckties, long sleeves and jewellery in an effort to stop the spread of deadly hospital-borne infections. The campaign is aimed at ambulances, primary care, mental health and care trusts, and care homes and hospices.

In England, it was reported, hospitals are banning neckties, long sleeves and jewellery in an effort to stop the spread of deadly hospital-borne infections. Beginning in January 2008, doctors will have to wear plastic aprons instead of the traditional white coats as hospitals will have to comply with a new "bare below the elbows" dress code. The steps, which suggest that cuffs on white coats could be a means of spreading infection, also ban wrist watches and jewellery and aim to instigate a tougher regime of handwashing.

The aim is to stamp out the deadly infections plaguing the National Health system such as Clostridium difficile (C.Diff) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA is commonly found in American hospitals and nursing homes, and usually requires that the patient be isolated until the infection can be controlled.

Chief executives will be legally required to report all MRSA and C.difficile infections to medical authorities and will be fined if they fail to do so. Experts say that up to two-thirds of doctors do not wash their hands properly so a "clean your hands" campaign will be launched.

The campaign is aimed at ambulances, primary care, mental health and care trusts, and care homes and hospices.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Randy Walton