What You Should Know about a New Deadly, Easily-Spread Fungal Infection Found in Maryland

By Bruce Plaxen | April 19, 2017

One of the biggest threats to hospital patients are HAIs – healthcare associated infections. Sepsis, MRSA and c. diff are the most common (and can be the deadliest if left untreated), but any infection is dangerous, especially to people with weakened immune systems. In particular, the elderly, young children, people with auto-immune conditions and anyone…

How to Avoid the Common Causes of Medication Errors

By Bruce Plaxen | January 20, 2017

In 2016, we learned that medical errors had become the third leading cause of the death in the nation. There are many different kinds of error that contribute to that figure, including errors with medication. Avoiding medication error is no longer as simple as sticking to a schedule and taking the right pill at the…

The CDC Has Labeled Sepsis as a “Medical Emergency”

By Bruce Plaxen | September 15, 2016

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning about sepsis, a potentially fatal complication of infections. When caught in time, sepsis can be treated, but a delay can lead to serious injury or even death. (Both actress Patty Duke and boxer Muhammad Ali died of sepsis-related complications this year.) The illness moves…

Olympus Endoscopes Lawsuits Beginning to Take Shape

By Bruce Plaxen | June 8, 2016

Last year, we wrote about a “superbug” infection caused by Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), which was linked to use of the Tokyo-based Olympus Corp.’s duodenoscopes. At that time, only two lawsuits had been filed. In January of this year, however, Olympus voluntarily recalled thousands of those scopes “two days after a U.S. Senate report concluded that…

Radiation Overdoses May Be the Result of Medical Negligence

By Bruce Plaxen | June 2, 2016

Cancer survivors who have undergone radiation and chemotherapy to treat the disease sometimes say that the cure is worse than the condition. Medical professionals use radiation therapies for more than just cancer treatment, however – and sometimes, they use too much. An overdose of radiation can lead to internal burn injuries, and (ironically) to the…

Maryland Hospitals Score Poorly When it Comes to C. Diff Transmission

By Bruce Plaxen | March 17, 2016

Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, is one of the more common hospital acquired infections (HAIs). It is also one of the more dangerous, especially for the very young and the elderly. It is easily transmittable from object-to-person, or person-to-person, and it “can produce toxins that attack the lining of the intestine,” according to the Mayo…

Dear FDA: Keep Your Boxed Warning about Power Morcellators in Place

By Bruce Plaxen | January 4, 2016

There are some very serious side effects associated with the use of power morcellators – side effects that the Food and Drug Administration started investigating in June of 2014. It has been more than a year and half since that initial advisory panel, and in that time the FDA has revised its “black box” warning…

Doctor Privileges and Hospital Accountability

By Bruce Plaxen | December 4, 2015

When you go to the hospital and you are seen by a doctor, you will likely assume that the doctor is employed by that hospital. That is not always the case. Doctors tend to work like independent contractors, and are granted certain privileges to see patients within the facility. When that doctor commits an act…

Defective Medical Devices: Stryker Hip Replacements

By Bruce Plaxen | November 11, 2015

The Stryker Corp. is based in Michigan, and manufactures around 57,000 products. Their products are all related to the medical and surgical fields, with a focus on reconstructive surgery. In 2009, Stryker recalled three hip replacement products: Rejuvenate Modular-Neck Hip Stems ABG II Modular-Neck Hip Stems Accolade TMZF Plus Hip Stem These three products were…