Medical Malpractice

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to significantly change the way it clears the majority of medical devices for marketing in the U.S. The agency plans to place much less emphasis on allowing comparisons with older medical products. The federal agency’s reliance on these comparisons has been considered by many as a flawed…

A new poll by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) reports that nine out of 10 ER doctors believe their hospitals aren’t prepared for a mass tragedy or major disaster. The poll, released May 22, also revealed that fewer than 50 percent of doctors believe their emergency rooms are “somewhat” equipped to handle an…

Many people, including Illinois residents, have received the difficult prognosis that they need open-heart surgery. Although this surgery constitutes a major medical event in a person’s life, it is often performed with great success and offers a positive prognosis. There are, however, complications that can sometimes arise after surgery for these patients. As an example,…

According to a USA TODAY investigation, tens of thousands of patients undergo unnecessary surgeries each year. This is an incredible number that gets very little attention, save for some very high-profile cases. The article states that unnecessary surgeries could account for 10 to 20 percent of all operations in some specialities of medicine, including cardiac…

Patients who require hospice care are most often living out the final weeks or months of a terminal health condition, barring a miracle. These individuals depend on hospice to provide the palliative care they need. Nurses who provide hospice care help patients in various ways to manage or minimize pain and achieve the best possible…

Jaundice is a serious but treatable condition related to the liver. Though it is most common in pre-term babies, it can happen to any baby whose liver is producing an excess of bilirubin, a compound in your red blood cells. Sometimes, a baby’s liver simply isn’t mature enough to get rid of the excess bilirubin,…