Preventable surgery deaths have increased 5 percent a year from 1998 to 2010, according to a new study published in the August 19 edition of the British Journal of Urology International. Researchers from the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit reviewed Nationwide Inpatient Sample hospital discharge... Read More

A Waco, Texas woman has filed a lawsuit against a doctor and his medical practice alleging organ transplant malpractice. Two years ago, the plaintiff donated a kidney to her grandmother. Her grandmother died from terminal cancer 11 months later. According to the complaint, doctors failed... Read More

The gallbladder is an inessential organ and gallbladder removal is one of the most common surgeries performed, but a new gallbladder surgery study examines the effects of delaying surgery in certain patients after a severe gallstone attack. The results suggest that emergency room personnel should... Read More

The recent release of a report by Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn entitled “Death, Delay, and Dismay at the VA” has added fuel to the fire over growing criticism of rampant administrative problems at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The report offers damning evidence... Read More

Technology in the form of text messages, email or voicemail may play a critical role in reducing surgical site infections (SSIs) acquired during or after an operation, according to new study. Researchers examined the advantages of an electronic patient alert system (EAS) for reminding patients of specific... Read More

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has changed its reporting of hospital errors, making it harder for consumers to make informed choices about their care. This month, CMS stopped providing public data on eight avoidable “hospital acquired conditions” (HACs), including reports of when... Read More

In an unbelievable new study, researchers have uncovered a positive correlation between the recent closure of emergency rooms and subsequent emergency room deaths in patients seeking care in an alternative hospital nearby. The study, which was released earlier this month in the medical journal known... Read More

A research team at Vancouver General Hospital in British Columbia reported a 77% decrease in surgical site infections (SSI’s) by implementing a relatively simple set of procedures called CLEAN. Prior to the implementation of the CLEAN program, Vancouver General had a surgical infection site rate... Read More