Case Example: Group B Strep
An expectant mother is diagnosed early in her pregnancy with Group B strep. At 38 weeks, she does not feel well. Is it serious?
Blog
What is the Time Limitation for Pursuing a Malpractice Claim for Care Received in the ER?
If you suspect you or a loved one may have suffered an injury due to negligence or wrongful conduct committed by healthcare professionals, there are reasons you should contact an attorney as soon as possible.
Case Example: Induction Before a Holiday
A doctor makes the decision to medically induce labor and delivery the night before a holiday.
How Long Should You Wait in the ER?
The national average from the time a patient walks into the ER and when they walk out again is just over 2 hours. If you are waiting to be admitted, the wait is significantly longer.
Case Example: Failure to Treat Ketoacidosis
A non-stress test, coupled with lack of proper monitoring of an expectant mother, has devastating consequences.
House Bill 804
The emergency room physicians of Pennsylvania are asking the state legislature to change the law to increase the burden of proof necessary for a patient to tip the scales in their favor.
Update: Newborn genetic screening
Can a simple blood test not only identify, but actually prevent certain birth defects? Recent studies are promising.
Study: Fear of Malpractice Suits Doesn’t Change Care
Do emergency room physicians fear malpractice suits to the extent that they might order unnecessary tests?
Conflicting Reports Raise Questions about ER in Dallas Ebola Case
A New York Times article reports on the allegations surrounding a Dallas hospital's treatment of Ebola patient Thomas Duncan.
Case example: Failure of ER Staff to Order Appropriate Tests
A jury finds that ER doctors missed symptoms and failed to order a needed chest x-ray
Genetic Conditions in Newborns – Do I Need Additional Screening?
In addition to conditions which hospitals are required to test, most hospitals will also test newborns for 23 additional genetic conditions.
Study: Expectant Mothers Would Benefit from National Quality Standards
According to a recent study, whether or not you experience complications during childbirth may depend upon the hospital you choose.
Pennsylvania Law Expands Newborn Screening for Birth Defects
"Hannah's Law," which goes into effect in Pennsylvania before year's end, requires Pennsylvania hospitals to test newborns for certain genetic disorders.
Cervical Cerclage – Cervical Incompetence
What happens when a cervix shortens or opens too early during pregnancy?
Case example: Failure to Monitor a Patient’s Changing Condition
Hospital’s inaction as a patient’s condition deteriorates overnight in the ER results in her death.
Newborn Screening – Methods, procedures, and timing
What types of medical screening is done for a newborn, and what is the law in terms of testing and timing?
Electronic medical records and the emergency room
When implemented successfully, a high-quality ED medical record should help better capture the process of evaluation, management, medical decision-making, and disposition of a patient.
Pregnant women with HIV – the use of Retrovir to prevent transmission to your baby
Zidovudine is a prescription anti-HIV medicine commonly sold under the brand name “Retrovir,” and has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of HIV and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
Case example: Failure to Diagnose Symptoms in the ER
A man with severe headaches who dies from a ruptured aneurysm one month later could have been saved.
Induction of Labor
Induction of labor may be recommended when certain criteria are met (Bishop’s score) and when the risks and benefits of an imminent delivery are measured against the risks of continuing pregnancy.
Discharge instructions
What type of instructions or information should patients insist on having upon emergency room discharge?
Case example: Failure of ER Staff to Order Appropriate Tests
A jury finds that ER doctors missed symptoms and failed to order a needed chest x-ray
Post-Term Pregnancy
All interventions to artificially control the timing of delivery (induction of labor, caesarean section) are associated with risk, albeit small, of certain complications.
Clinical Observation
If your treatment in the ER is completed and you would benefit from a few more hours of observation, do you have to be admitted as an inpatient?
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes occurs when the mother has high blood glucose levels during pregnancy. This happens in more than 15% of pregnancies in the U.S., and can happen even in women who have never had diabetes before.