In the US red blood cell units can be stored for up to 42 days after they are collected. Previous studies have questioned this medical practice and have implied that the storage duration may impact the quality of the blood cell units. These studies which were based on observations showed a correlation between the transfusion of…
Two patients were seriously injured in a New York urgent care facility after they were inadvertently administered non sterile simulation intravenous fluids. They both experienced a febrile illness during administration and had to be hospitalized. One of them developed sepsis. Both of them survived. The cases were reported to the New…
In recent years the off-label use of testosterone has been exploding as doctors prescribed testosterone to their aging patient to improve their libido and make them feel more vigorous and younger. However, the FDA warned that recent studies indicate that the off label use of testosterone as the ultimate anti-aging therapy may increase cardiovascular risks.…
Medical errors and adverse events are among the leading causes of death and personal injury in the U.S. According to a recent study in the Journal of Patient Safety the number of premature deaths associated with preventable harm to patients is estimated at more than 400,000 per year. Serious harm seems…
Janet Hickey, a resident of City Island in the Bronx, NYC, was recovering from brain surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital and was transferred by ambulance to Phelps Memorial Hospital, for rehabilitation. During the trip between the two facilities, the ambulance that was transporting her crashed into a pole in Westchester…
After two patients died and many other suffered personal injury from a recent “superbug”outbreak involving duodenoscopes, the safety of these medical devices (see previous blog) and the method used by hospitals to reprocess them are being questioned. In a recent Hazard Report, the ECRI Institute is recommending culturing Duodenoscopes as a key…
Sharing diabetes pens among patients is a gross medical malpractice that can lead to transmission of infections and viruses such as HIV and hepatitis viruses. According to the FDA, since 2008 thousands of patients may have been exposed to blood-borne pathogens from the sharing of multi-dose pen devices for insulin and other…
Since 2009, the FDA has been aware that duodenoscopes manufactured by Japanese companies Olympus, Pentax and Fujifilm have been at the origin of the spread of sometimes fatal spread of pathogens but did nothing to change the situation. Hospitals that faced such outbreaks began sterilizing the devices more rigorously and the transmission…
Medical negligence by doctors or medical staff who do not respect cleaning procedures or fail to discard contaminated implements are often the reason why hospital patients are getting infected by contaminated instruments. Yesterday, UCLA Medical Center announced that 179 patients may have been infected by the super-bug bacteria carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) transmitted…
Failure to manage diabetes can be medical malpractice that can result in serious personal injury such as loss of a limb, an eye or a kidney. A new medical App that was just approved by the FDA may help improve monitoring patients with diabetes. The Dexcom Share Direct Secondary Displays…