Clostridium difficile, commonly referred to as C. diff, is a bacterium that makes more than half a million people sick each year. In November of 2014, the Food and Drug Administration approved the next stage of drug development for a product called SYN-004, a treatment “designed to be the first and only prophylactic therapy for [...]
An article published in Slate on December 9, 2014 discussed pending changes to New York’s laws regarding medical misconduct. The author writes that: “In May and June, the two houses of the New York State Legislature unanimously passed a bill prohibiting the state’s Office of Professional Medical Conduct—the agency that disciplines doctors who put their [...]
There is an important bill sitting on the President’s desk awaiting his approval. H.R. 4067, deals with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) enforcement of direct supervision on critical access hospitals (CAH) located throughout the country. CAHs serve rural areas, and are different in size and scope than the acute care hospitals we [...]
Transvaginal mesh (TVM) is used to help women suffering from a prolapsed uterus and/or stress urinary incontinence. These conditions often develop after a woman has given birth, but may also occur after menopause or after a hysterectomy, as well as after certain kinds of trauma. The material is the same that is used to correct [...]
Manufacturers of medical devises can be responsible for harm caused by their products. There are a large percentage of medical malpractice cases, which don’t primarily target healthcare professionals. Those cases usually involve a defective medical device or a dangerous drugs. It is important to note, however, that a product or pill’s failure to work doesn’t [...]
DePuy has manufactured medical devices since 1895, and merged with Johnson & Johnson in 1998. It is the second-largest manufacturer of orthopedic devices in the world. Like Stryker Corp., the DePuy Synthes Company also manufacturers hip replacements and devices for those with spinal trauma. Defective Depuy Knee replacements have been recalled. What are the problems [...]
A pain pump is the more common name for patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). It is surgically implanted into your lower abdomen, and pushes a set amount of pain killers directly into your cerebrospinal fluid. Because the pain medication enters the fluid around the spinal cord directly, patients usually need a lesser amount of medication than they [...]
Women throughout the country undergo hysterectomies and fibroid removals every day. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently decided to schedule a panel advisory meeting about power morcellators, a surgical tool used in laparoscopic gynecological surgeries. This comes after the FDA’s warning in April that the use of such tools in the removal [...]
In 2009, a man named Charles Williams, Jr. was brought to the Peninsula Regional Medical Center by his mother. Charles was behaving oddly, his mother Ginneene Williams said, claiming to be “under a Wiccan curse,” and hearing the voice of God. The 34 year old man also claimed to be suicidal. The staff at the [...]
The deadly Ebola virus has made its way to America, and Thomas Eric Duncan has become its first victim. There are a number of news outlets reporting on the death, and CNN has even compiled a list of seven reasons why his case differs from other Ebola cases – and most of those reasons hint [...]
