Atlanta Injury Lawyers Blog

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is concerned enough about a series of recent infections at outpatient oncology clinics, to release a set of guidelines for the prevention of these infections.

Cancer patients are at a high risk of infections because of immunosuppression caused not only by the tumor, but also by the chemotherapy. Patients with cancer are in frequent contact with healthcare settings, and with other patients who may suffer from infections. Therefore, these persons are at a high risk of contracting potentially deadly infections. Infections can be debilitating in cancer patients who are in a weakened state, and lack the physical strength to tolerate infections.

According to the CDC, in recent years, the bulk of cancer treatment has shifted to outpatient oncology clinics and cancer centers. As many as 1 million cancer patients every year are treated in these outpatient centers. Unfortunately, while Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers have found a strong focus on reducing the number of hospital-acquired infections, infection risks in outpatient centers have been ignored. In recent years, there have been a number of infection outbreaks at outpatient oncology clinics. These have been the result of poor hygiene, lack of sterile medical equipment, reuse of needles, reuse of single use vials and a host of other factors.

Continue reading " CDC Campaign To Minimize Outpatient Oncology Clinic Infections " »

The family of a thirteen-year-old girl, who died while she was undergoing dental surgery, has settled a wrongful death lawsuit for $1 million.

The incident occurred at a dental office on December 21, 2010, when thirteen-year-old Melissa Kingery was undergoing surgery. The girl had been administered general anesthesia, and during the surgery, suddenly stopped breathing. She died soon after.

Autopsies later confirmed that the death was the result of complications arising from anesthesia use. The girl suffered diffuse hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy from respiratory arrest brought on by anesthesia complications.

Her parents filed a lawsuit against the dentist, an 81-year old man. His insurance company has now settled the lawsuit for $1 million. The settlement was brought about through the help of the State Dental Board which negotiated between the parties and approved the final settlement. The settlement will be shared by the parents of the girl.

Continue reading " Family Settles Dental Negligence Lawsuit for $1 Million " »

As an Atlanta dental malpractice lawyer, I come across cases involving negligence by dental professionals every day. In many of these cases, patients might have been able to avoid the trauma of a dental injury if they had been aware of some of the warning signs of a negligent professional.

According to MNN.com, there are certain signs that should alert you to the possibility that your dentist may not be as professional as he needs to be.

Your dentist should take a complete medical history before he decides to recommend a treatment. Oral treatments are no laughing matter. Some oral conditions can affect a person's cardiac health, while certain medical conditions like arthritis, can affect a person's dental health. A complete medical history can inform your dentist about a condition that could impact the success of the procedure or treatment.

Continue reading " Watch out for Signs of Dental Negligence " »

A new survey of clinicians confirms to Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers that diagnostic errors are widespread and contribute to patient injuries. According to the study, close to half or 47% of the clinicians who were surveyed admitted that they encountered diagnostic errors in their practice at least every month.

Out of these, 64% of the clinicians said that up to 10% of the diagnostic errors they have made has contributed to some form of patient harm. However, the good news is that more than 90% of the clinicians believe that diagnostic errors are preventable.

The most frequent conditions in which there were errors in diagnosis included appendicitis, bipolar disorder, pulmonary embolism and myocardial infection. The most frequent misdiagnoses were for various types of cancers. The highest risks of wrong diagnosis among cancers were for breast cancer, colorectal and lung cancer.

According to the study most diagnostic errors are the result of atypical patient presentation, failure to consider other possible diagnoses, inadequate patient history, and insufficient follow-up of test results. Diagnostic errors may also be the result of over testing, medical school training that does not focus on developing problem-solving skills, poorly constructed information technology systems, and low self-confidence among physicians.

Continue reading " Diagnostic Errors Are Widespread But Preventable " »

Injury to the lingual nerve (LN) is a common result from Dental Malpractice. A number of oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures result in damage to the the Trigeminal Nerve, Lingual Nerve or Inferior Alveolar Nerve. The most common signs or symptons of dental nerve damage is numbness (about half) followed by numbness with pain (about 40%).

Other changed sensations following dental nerve injury include shooting pains in your mouth, the feeling that your tongue is burning, aching, extreme sensitivity and pain when exposed to cold, an inability to taste foods and a "pins and needles" feeling when eating.

If you have suffered from a dental nerve injury, it is important to seek medical intervention as soon as possible. The longer your symptoms last, the less likely it is that you will regain full sensation in the affected areas of your mouth. Regardless of what you have been told, there are courses of treatment that can help you regain the feeling in your mouth, tongue, cheek and gums.

Continue reading " Lingual Nerve Injuries Common in Dental Malpractice Cases " »