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We recently discussed potential medical risks -- such as infection, allergic reaction or additional complications -- that can result when patients are subjected to unnecessary testing. Today's posting explores the risks surrounding doctors' increasing use of computed...
Injuries caused by the negligence of hospital staff during the delivery process may sometimes be so severe that they foreclose any possibility of a child having a normal life. For that reason, many Oregon readers regard birth injuries as among the most tragic of...
Despite remarkable improvements in medical technology, patients in Oregon and nationwide continue to be injured by medical negligence, such as surgical errors. A new survey suggests that doctor burnout may be a prime culprit. The survey was led by researchers from the...
An estimated 10% of all visits to emergency departments in Oregon and nationwide may involve patients whose symptoms suggest acute myocardial infarction, commonly referred to as heart attack. However, that diagnosis often requires several hours of observation, and may...
An internal investigation prompted by a letter from a former nurse at HCA -- the largest for-profit hospital chain in the United States with 163 facilities -- revealed that unnecessary testing may have been the norm in the hospital's cardiology department. The finding...
Medical technicians in Oregon and nationwide aren't as closely regulated as doctors or nurses. Whereas a national database exists for tracking misconduct or disciplinary actions against physicians, many states don't maintain a comparable database for technicians or...
Each year, about 17 percent of men in Oregon and nationwide will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Upon receiving this news, most men opt for aggressive treatment options, despite the accompanying long-term side effects of that choice. However, a new study suggests...
In the war against colon cancer -- the third most commonly diagnosed cancer -- early screening and testing might be the strongest weapons. If detected early, doctors might be able to remove polyps, or growths on the colon wall, before they become malignant. However,...
When Oregon patients check in to a hospital, their thoughts may be preoccupied with the main surgical or medical procedure they will be receiving. However, the opportunity for medical error is not confined to that event. A recent university study suggests that lower...
A jury recently awarded $4 million to the estate of a woman in a medical malpractice lawsuit alleging hospital and staff negligence. The woman's estate claimed that hospital nurses failed to notify staff of the woman's latex allergy, resulting in her wrongful death....