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Utilization of continuous EEG monitoring in mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU was associated with a reduction in hospital mortality without significantly affecting hospital costs or length of stay.
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Inhaled apomorphine, at doses up to 0.8 mg, appears safe and well tolerated by patients with Parkinson's disease, but does not result in significant improvement in wearing "off" periods, at the tested doses.
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This 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examined the combination of oxycodone and naloxone for treatment of severe restless legs syndrome in patients inadequately controlled by previous treatment.
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Rocky Mountain spotted fever is most common in the southeastern United States despite its name. It presents with headache, fever, myalgias, and a vasculitic rash that may involve the palms and soles.
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Claims involving routine medical procedures — scopes, injections, punctures, biopsies, insertion of tubes, or imaging — resulted in $215 million in incurred losses, according to an analysis of 1,497 cases. In this study, legal outcomes often hinged on these factors: failure to obtain or document a thorough, voluntary informed consent; lack of appropriate credentials or experience with the procedure; failure to follow published safety policies.
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Whether a medical expert is qualified to testify often turns on a particular state statute, says Thomas R. McLean, MD, JD, CEO of American Medical Litigation Support Services in Shawnee, KS.
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If physicians fail to purchase "tail" coverage when leaving one carrier, they risk having no coverage if a suit is filed before the effective date of their new carrier's policy.
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Physicians have a legal obligation to transfer a patient when the standard of care or the facility's licensure requires it. This documentation can make "failure-to-transfer" claims more defensible:
the criteria for meeting exceptions to transfer requirements; how criteria in policies were met; an appropriate patient plan of care.
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Office-based practices face increased legal risks due to more patient care occurring in the ambulatory setting. Physicians often fail to realize that they can be held vicariously liable for the actions of their staff.
