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Harsh claims as nurse sues hospital where she contracted Ebola

A nurse who contracted Ebola after treating a patient with the disease is suing her hospital. She claims the hospital failed to provide adequate training and protective gear, among several other charges. The nurse says she still suffers physically and mentally from the experience. She alleges that the hospital used her for public relations efforts against her will.

$21.9 M award in elective steroid injection procedure

A 54-year-old woman suffered from chronic and severe back pain, and she underwent an elective epidural steroid injection. While sedated, the patient’s airway became blocked, which resulted in oxygen deprivation for as long as 10 minutes. Multiple electronic monitors indicated that the patient was not breathing properly, but the physician continued the procedure. Emergency assistance was not called for more than an hour, and the physician failed to report to a subsequent treating hospital that the patient was deprived of oxygen for several minutes. The patient suffered severe brain damage, and she died six years after the procedure from complications related to the brain injury. The jury awarded the widower and estate $21.9 million in damages.

Failure to diagnose infection causes toddler death and yields verdict of $1.72 million

Plaintiffs’ 3-month-old daughter was taken to the hospital with a high fever and elevated pulse rate. The ED physician diagnosed an ear infection and discharged the infant with a prescription for antibiotics. Days later she was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis, hypoxic brain injury, and hydrocephalus. She lived for 20 more months. Plaintiffs sued the hospital and the ED physician, and they won a verdict of joint and several liability for $1.7 million.

Network of bioethicists gives guidance to investigators with research ethics issues

The Clinical Research Ethics Consultation, a group of 40 bioethicists at 30 institutions, helps investigators resolve ethical issues that arise during research.

Measles outbreak puts spotlight on vaccine refusers: Providers need ethical responses

An increasing number of pediatricians are encountering families requesting an altered vaccine schedule or refusing vaccines altogether; some are responding by dismissing families from their practices, according to a study.

Commission calls for integration of ethics into public health response

A February 2015 report from the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues explores ethical issues involving the Ebola epidemic and public health planning and response.

Survey identifies key ethical dilemmas encountered by nurses

Hospice and palliative care nurses reported inadequate communication, provision of non-beneficial care, and discontinuation of life-prolonging therapies as some of the factors contributing to ethical issues, according to a recent survey.

Non-Hospice Patients Receive More Aggressive End-of-Life Care

Patients who do not enroll in hospice are more likely to receive aggressive cancer care at the end of life, according to a recent study.

IRBs win awards for best practices, innovation

The Health Improvement Institute’s (HII’s) Awards for Excellence in Human Research Protection recently honored two IRBs that streamlined and implemented new systems for efficiency and information-sharing to improve approval turnaround times and quality of human subjects protection in the areas of best practices and innovation.

IRB considerations for nanotechnology protocols

Once the stuff of sci-fi novels and movies, nanotechnology (NT) — the manipulation of matter on the tiny nanoscale — now has practical applications in everyday areas such as engineering and healthcare. NT is currently being used in clinical trials to develop diagnostic tests and targeted drug delivery devices, especially for cancer treatment, experts say.