All Topics

• Reporting Medical Errors

  Karen Gatlin | March 06, 2008 1:39 PM | 0 CommentsBergen County, NJ

  Ninety percent of New Jersey residents would like hospitals to report adverse incidents and medical errors, such as patient falls and hospital acquired infections, to the public. One fifth of state residents have a family member who has experienced a preventable medical error, and between 44,000 and 98,000 U.S. citizens die yearly from preventable medical errors. Hospitals do supply data as to...

• Punitive Damages

  Donald Caminiti | January 09, 2008 2:15 PM | 0 CommentsBergen County, NJ

  A Missouri appeals court Tuesday upheld an $8 million punitive damages judgment imposed in Jackson County against State Farm Insurance.The case involved a lawsuit filed by Johnson County residents Jennie Hampton and Marvin Vail, who accused State Farm of malicious prosecution and breach of contract.The case began a decade ago when Hampton reported the theft of her Toyota 4Runner, which was found...

• Coumadin and Hemorrhage

  Karen Gatlin | January 09, 2008 9:24 AM | 0 CommentsBergen County, NJ

  Coumadin is a commonly used medication to prevent blood clots from forming. It is often prescribed to patients with heart arrhythmias; however, coumadin can be a dangerous medication because it increases the risk of hemorrhage and, therefore, requires careful monitoring. Blood testing should be done frequently to measure the level of anticoagulation. Patients should also know that changes in...

• PSA Testing and Prostate Cancer

  Karen Gatlin | January 02, 2008 9:44 AM | 0 CommentsBergen County, NJ

  A blood test for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) is a routine screening measure for prostate cancer. Prostate cells produce a protein called PSA, and a high PSA level in the blood can be a sign of prostate cancer. The normal range of PSA is 0-4 ng/ml. A PSA greater than 4 may indicate cancer or it may indicate more benign conditions such as enlargement of the prostate or infection. However, the...

• HIGH RATE OF HEART DISEASE IN FUTURE GENERATIONS

  Karen Gatlin | December 07, 2007 10:08 AM | 0 CommentsBergen County, NJ

  The New England Journal of Medicine reports that heart disease is expected to rise from 5% to 15%, primarily due to an epidemic of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity developed in the 1970's and has resulted in an increased occurrence of childhood Diabetes. Childhood obesity will cause a 15% increased incidence in coronary heart disease by 2035 and will produce a strain on our health care...

• Is S Chip the Beginning of Socialized Medicine?

  Karen Gatlin | February 02, 2009 9:32 AM | 0 CommentsBergen County, NJ

  Congress recently enacted S Chip, a program that provides medical coverage for a large percentage of American children. The legisatlion had been vetoed by Former President Bush on two occasions....

• Dangerous Flammable Products - Mattresses

  Donald Caminiti | November 07, 2008 9:00 AM | 1 CommentBergen County, NJ

  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of approximately 6,100 Serta Zipper-Covered Foam Core Mattresses. Consumers...

• Identifying Nursing Home Negligence

  Donald Caminiti | November 05, 2008 9:00 AM | 1 CommentBergen County, NJ

  A new, five-star system which helps consumers searching for a nursing home is scheduled to go online at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Compare Web site by the end...

• Medical malpractice in children

  Donald Caminiti | September 22, 2008 9:12 AM | 0 CommentsBergen County, NJ

  Medical errors pose a greater threat to children than to adults for a number of reasons, according to a report in the New York Times. They are physically small, and their kidneys, liver and immune...

• Patient of Distrust of Doctors II

  Donald Caminiti | August 15, 2008 11:35 AM | 0 CommentsBergen County, NJ

  No less prestigious a group than the Harvard Medical Practice Study Group, in an article entitled "Doctors and Lawyers: Medical Injury, Malpractice Litigation and Patient Compensation in New York",...