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Imagine this e-mail from one of your colleagues being Exhibit A at your malpractice trial: "You misdiagnosed Jane Doe with indigestion last night and she showed up this morning on my shift with a heart attack and didn't live. Since this is your third time to miss this sort of thing, you really need to pay better attention."
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Before giving a stroke patient tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), you must consider not only whether the patent is a candidate, but also whether the setting is appropriate, says Edward Jauch, MD, MS, assistant professor in the department of emergency medicine at University of Cincinnati and a member of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Team.
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Emergency physicians are much more likely to be sued for not administering tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to stroke patients, than for giving the drug, says a new study.
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You are treating a patient that you feel would be a good candidate for 'Drug X.' Unfortunately, 'Drug X' is not indicated by the FDA for the treatment of that specific condition; and, you are unable to find prescribing information regarding the optimal dose or duration of therapy with 'Drug X' for that condition. You realize that your use of 'Drug X' in this circumstance would be considered "off-label." What legal risks, if any, might you face?
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important public health problem. It has the potential for long-term complications with persistent morbidity, and also can result in missed school and workdays.
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Why would Emergency Medicine Reports publish an article about "chronic" wounds? As we well know, many patients with chronic conditions come to the emergency department (ED), and those with chronic wounds are no exception. The incidence of chronic skin wounds is likely to increase to due the rise in obesity and diabetes, as well as aging in the general population.
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The incidence of back pain in children is directly proportional to the age of the child, with back pain an unusual complaint in children younger than age 6. There is a steady increase in incidence, with adolescents having the highest rates of back pain by the time they are age 18. Approximately 60% of adults experience significant back pain in their lifetimes.
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If an emergency physician is arrested for assaulting a patient or for inappropriate sexual conduct, there is potential liability exposure for both the emergency medicine group and the hospital where the ED is located, says Thomas H. Taylor, a health care attorney at LaCrosse, WI-based Johns, Flaherty & Collins.
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The "standard of care" often has a significant impact on the outcome of ED malpractice lawsuits, but the way this is defined can vary according to state law and other factors.
