Surgery always carries some degree of risk, and as such, patients are often warned about the possibility of infection as part of the informed consent process. However, not every post-surgical infection is unavoidable. In some cases, serious infections develop because...
There are many medical conditions that cause similar symptoms. People rely on physicians to assess their experiences, run appropriate tests and determine the underlying cause of a medical condition. The diagnostic process can be relatively quick in cases where a...
Surgeons and the professionals assisting them typically do everything in their power to ensure that procedures are successful. Unfortunately, accidents and mistakes do occur during surgical procedures. In some cases, those mistakes are serious enough to have a...
Referrals in the medical field ensure a patient receives care from a physician with specialized expertise. Millions of referrals to specialists occur yearly. Unfortunately, some primary care providers (PCPs) fail to refer patients after determining that a patient’s...
When you enter an operating room, you place a high level of trust in the surgical team. However, after the surgery, you learn that the surgeon operated on the wrong limb or organ. In the medical world, this case counts as a never event, which is an egregious error...
Unexpected changes in your loved one after hospital care can raise serious questions. You might notice memory problems, slower speech or trouble with balance. In some situations, these symptoms appear after reduced oxygen during treatment. The brain relies on a steady...