Posts Tagged ‘medical malpractice’

$111.7 million for victims of unnecessary heart surgeries at Redding Medical Center.

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Lawsuits against manufacturers of anti-depressants have been filed in all 50 states following a study that found children whose mothers took selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Paxil and Zoloft during pregnancy were twice as likely to have a diagnosis of autism or a related disorder. However, the jury is still out on whether the [...]

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For decades, pregnant mothers were told that the best way to avoid developmental complications were to take vitamins during pregnancy, avoid alcohol and smoking, and obstain from strenuous activity. But in a set of studies published this month in the Archives of General Psychiatry, scientists have indicated that other environmental factors can lead to the development of child autism, and has suggested a link between the use of antidepressants during pregnancy and autism.

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A new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry indicates that mothers who were prescribed popular antidepressants during pregnancy are twice as likely as mothers who did not take the prescriptions to give birth to a child diagnosed with autism. The class of antidepressants in question are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which includes Zoloft, Prozac, Luvox, Celexa, Paxil, and their generic versions. Since medications pass through the placenta, the researchers believe that taking these antidepressants during pregnancy can impact the child’s brain development.

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Clearly, no value can be put on a human life. When a family member or friend has died in a tragic accident, a lawsuit settlement or jury victory will not bring them back or restore their future. That said, monetary settlements are the way our court system deals with such deaths, and when the victim is responsible for supporting a family, financial rewards are completely justified. So it’s always a difficult undertaking when government agencies attempt to put a specific value on a human life. But if you look closely, California courts are particularly guilty of undervaluing lives lost in medical accidents.

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It’s true: regulation is often not good for business. The American food industry no doubt took a hit when the government decided to test products for poisons before they hit grocery stores. But we accept those regulations because we know it’s best for public safety. Last week, the New York Times name-checked DePuy Orthopedics and its faulty hip implants in a report on medical device companies that are increasingly critical of government regulation of their products. These companies say US regulation will cause the industry to lag behind nations with more relaxed laws, with little mention of the dangerous side effects associated with lesser regulation.

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Just under two months ago, the Food and Drug Administration began recalling hip implants manufactured by DePuy Orthopaedics, citing complaints it has received for more than two years about unusually high (and quick) failure rates of the implants requiring additional surgeries. Over and above faulty hip implants, the F.D.A. accused DePuy of marketing an unapproved knee device and selling hip implants for purposes not approved by the agency. Since the recall, more than 100 lawsuits have sprouted up, leaving the potential for many more.

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That old Operation game has come to life, to the detriment of an abnormally high number of patients at California hospitals. In the past two years, doctors have left surgical instruments inside patients after their operation 350 times. Such faux pas are called “never events” becuase they are never supposed to happen. But in reality, “retained foreign objects” incidents account for 14 percent of all preventable hospital errors and are running up the bill on penalties and legal fines statewide.

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