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In a Phase 3 trial comparing the recently introduced monoclonal antibody denosumab with zoledronic acid for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer metastatic to bone, the incidence of skeletal events including pathological fracture, radiation, skeletal surgery, or cord compression was delayed on average by more than 3 months for those treated with denosumab. Adverse events were comparable. Denosumab is administered subcutaneously and can be given to patients with renal insufficiency. Clinicians have become familiar with zoledronic acid in this setting, and it remains unclear whether its role as the standard approach will be supplanted.
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To have a successful lawsuit in cases of missed or delayed diagnosis, a plaintiff needs at least two things, according to Michael Blaivas, MD, professor of emergency medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Northside Hospital Forsyth in Cumming, GA.
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Errors related to missed or delayed diagnoses are a frequent cause of patient injury and, as such, are an underlying cause of patient-safety-related events, according to new research from the Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority,1 which reviewed 100 events related to diagnostic errors between June 2004 and November 2009, 23 of which originated in the ED.
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It is not uncommon for a patient or family member who is unhappy with the services he or she receives in the ED to make threatening statements about filing lawsuits, says Justin S. Greenfelder, JD, a health care attorney with Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs in Canton, OH.
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Simply hearing the words, "I am going to sue you ... can send shock waves up your spine," says Michelle Myers Glower, RN, MSN, LNC a health care consultant based in Grand Rapids, MI.
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Emergency physicians (EPs) are often faced with caring for the impending or actual cardiac arrest patient.
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The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has published a report about end-of-life care, emphasizing the importance of more personal and private discussions about the topic.
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How is your pain today? On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain? Are you comfortable today? Did the medication lessen your pain?
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Investigators prospectively assessed quality of life in newly diagnosed AML patients 60 years and older using the EORTC QLC-C30 and QOL-E surveys. Among the 113 patients enrolled, 42.4% underwent intensive induction chemotherapy and 57.6% received palliative treatment. Self-rated quality of life did not correlate with physician-rated performance status or induction chemotherapy. Lower self-report functional status predicted higher mortality, even after adjusting for age, treatment, and comorbidity. Patient-reported quality of life may be an independent prognostic factor for AML outcomes.
