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Tag Archives: birth injury

March 29, 2018 News
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Medical malpractice following hospital error 14 years ago may leave woman paralyzed

This is a case of medical malpractice that dates back 14 years, when a woman received an epidural injection before giving birth. Apparently, when the doctor was attempting to inject the woman through an epidural needle, a section of the needle broke off inside of her spine. The doctor and hospital staff either didn’t notice the doctor’s error or tried to cover it up by not telling the patient. A New York medical malpractice lawyer explained that both scenarios would likely be considered medical negligence or fraud. The injury lawyer explains that doctors and nurses are obligated to check their equipment to ensure no instruments are left inside of the patient. Cases of medical equipment being left inside of a person’s body usually occur during surgery. However, delicate pieces of equipment, such as needles, are easily broken. Many patients worry about undergoing medical procedures in fear of mistakes or complications that are not corrected. In pregnancy, this fear increases for fear of the baby’s safety. Luckily the botched procedure didn’t cause a birth injury to the baby. The woman in this case continued to develop pain and complications from the doctor’s mistake. It wasn’t until the woman underwent a scan that doctors discovered the broken needle piece embedded in her spine. Experts are now concerned that the mistake may leave the woman paralyzed. They note that attempting surgery to remove it may lead to the very same problem as leaving it in her body. See this article for additional details about this patient’s epidural injection injury and claims about the doctor and hospital trying to cover up the mistake.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: george ruiz [License]

January 29, 2017 News
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New technology hopes to prevent birth injury

A healthcare instrument manufacturer has recently presented a new kind of scalpel to prevent birth injuries caused by a doctor during childbirth. The makers of this new surgical instrument say that it can prevent common accidental lacerations of the cheek, face and ear of the fetus as well as other body parts. Medical safety experts say that obstetrician doctors or residents often injure the infant while cutting through the mother’s tissues while working quickly to deliver the baby. Hospital errors can occur for various reasons. For example, unskilled physicians or fatigued staff sometimes have difficulty performing caesarean section surgeries under such time pressure. This can lead to permanent disability, wounds or even death of the baby. Patient safety can also be put at risk, leading to injury to the mother during such an intricate operation. The new medical device hopes to reduce the risk or such injuries and wrongful death. They also hope that the new safety blade design will prevent injury to the doctors and nurses involved in the surgery. Worker’s comp injuries involving hospital workers being hurt by needles, scalpels and other sharp instruments is a serious concern. Patient safety advocates explain that many medical safety devices are available to staff but some hospitals refuse to buy them due to high cost. However, they note that the high cost to a victim who suffers a medical malpractice injury must be taken into consideration. Many malpractice lawsuits, especially in cases of fetal injury, can be avoided with proper planning to avoid surgical error or a hospital mistake. Find out more about the new medical safety options here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Credit: M C Morgan [License]

September 11, 2014 News
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Ongoing research reveals possible treatment for traumatic brain injury

A recent medical study showed that treating victims of head injury with xenon gas may minimize the degree of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The gas has been used as a medication for general anesthesia and also tired as a sedative for critical care patients. However, this early-stage study into head injuries suggests that the medicine should be further studied for accident victims and other sufferers of TBIs. Doctors explain that traumatic brain damage often occurs as a result of a car crash, slip and fall accident or assault. War time injuries and explosions can also cause severe head injuries. A mild traumatic brain injury, often referred to as a concussion, can leave the victim with memory problems, personality changes, headaches, dizziness, anxiety and depression. Medical experts say that the more severe the injury to the brain, the more severe and permanent the symptoms can be for the victim. They note that the initial accident or trauma is only the beginning of the process of brain injury. There’s a secondary injury that occurs over the next hours to days that can sometimes create more problems and disability than the initial injury. The researchers believe that the xenon gas is able to protect the health of the brain cells and prevent this further neurological injury, if given soon after a crash or other accident with head injury.

The scientists have also been studying the use of xenon gas for newborn babies who have suffered oxygen deprivation during birth. Possible causes of such lack of oxygen during delivery of an infant can include damage or problems with the health of the placenta or umbilical cord, an umbilical cord that is wrapped around the newborn’s neck, a birth injury, or prolonged labor and delivery of the infant. Experts posit that some of the causes can be due to a doctor’s mistake, missed diagnosis or hospital error while other problems can’t be prevented. The ultimate outcome of the oxygen deprivation can be devistating and leave the infant partially or even fully brain dead. The research scientists hope that their investigation into the use of xenon in these sick or injured patient will help prevent further brain damage. You can read more about the use of this gas as a medicine in brain injuries here.

Illustrative photo by Abu-Amero KK, Al-Dhalaan H, Bohlega S, Hellani A, Taylor RW. [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons