Medical Malpractice

• Medtronic Defibrillator Leads Recalled

  Shannon Weidemann | October 22, 2007 9:29 PM | 0 CommentsColorado Springs, CO

  Defibrillator leads that connect an implanted defibrillator have been recalled. The defective medical device is made by Medtronic and may cause the device to function incorrectly. The name of the product is Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Defibrillator Leads. The FDA has advised patients who are implanted with this recalled Medtronic defibrillator lead or do not know the model of their lead, to...

• Defibrillator Manufacturer Warned by the FDA

  Staff Writer | August 09, 2006 10:19 PM | 0 CommentsGrand Junction, CO

  Medical device manufacturer Cardiac Science Corp. received a formal warning from the FDA demanding that they correct safety procedures used to manufacture defibrillators. The automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are used in public locations such as government offices, sports stadiums, shopping centers and schools. They are designed to treat heart attacks by restoring healthy heart rhythms....

• FDA Announces Recall of Certain Welch Allyn Automated External Defibrillators

  Staff Writer | July 31, 2006 6:39 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and MRL, Inc (a Welch Allyn company), recently notified healthcare professionals about the class 1 recall of 1184 automated external defibrillators ([AEDs] Welch Allyn PIC 50, catalog #97108X) manufactured during February 2002 to October 2004; 673 units were sold within the United States.The recall occured because of an electrical contact problem that...

• Nursing Home Citations Increase

  Staff Writer | December 19, 2007 11:20 AM | 0 CommentsColorado Springs, CO

  USA Today recently reported that nursing home citations have increased 22% from 2000 to 2006. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Serices, which regulates nursing homes, claimed that more and more nursing homes are being cited for serious violations that are putting patients at risk. The most serious type of cases being cited are patients who were physically or sexually abused as well as...

• Half of Doctors in U.S. Report Medical Errors

  Linda Snyder | December 07, 2007 3:28 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Recently, researchers found that only half of all U.S. doctors report medical mistakes or unethical colleagues. Only 46 percent of physicians surveyed stated that they knew of a serious medical error and didn't report it. The U.S. Institute of Medicine surveyed more than 1,600 physicians in 2003 and 2004; only 31 percents had undergone a competency review in the past three years. About 98,000...

• Parents File Medical Malpractice Case in Arkansas

  Shannon Weidemann | August 08, 2007 3:17 PM | 0 CommentsColorado Springs, CO

  A medical malpractice case is being heard in Arkansas after a woman was incapcitated after surgery at Northwest Medical Center. The case is being heard in Washington County Circuit Court. The woman had an infection in her arm and had surgery to treat it. The plaintiffs seek money either for expenses for their daughter's future costs at the nursing home or for her to stay at home with them....

• Medical Errors and Death in Hospitals

  Staff Writer | April 21, 2006 8:36 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  A recent study by HealthGrades indicates that the most serious problem in U.S. hospitals is medical error. This study ranked hospitals in New York, New Jersey, Nevada, Tennessee and the District of Columbia as those ranking lowest in patient safety.For more information about the medical errors study...

• Proposed Roof Safety Standards Inadequate

  Staff Writer | January 06, 2006 10:40 AM | 0 CommentsColorado Springs, CO

  According to the consumer watchdog group Public Citizen, the reently proposed changes to vehicle roof-crush standards are a joke, with 70% of current vehicles already meeting them.In their press release, Public Citizen notes:Rollover crashes kill 10,000 people each year, accounting for one-third of all occupant deaths in vehicle crashes. Many deaths and injuries that stem from rollover crashes...

• Sleep Apnea Flow Generators Recalled

  Shannon Weidemann | April 30, 2007 10:45 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Some flow generators used in the treatment of sleep apnea have been recalled. ResMed is voluntarily recalling S8 flow generators made between July 2004 and May 15, 2006 because the power supply connector may short circuit. This creates a potential for machine failure, sparks and fire. Patients may continue to use their S8 flow generators until they receive a replacement device. As with any...

• FDA Warning to Medtronic on Defibrillators

  Staff Writer | September 29, 2006 7:17 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  The FDA issued a warning to Medtronic, Inc. on Friday, September 29, 2006 regarding the delayed filing of a post market surveillance interim report on the AneuRx Stent Graft System. According to Medtronic, Inc. the letter is not related to the quality, design or manufacture of the product. However, the purpose of the Postmarket study is to make sure the device is appropriately labeled for use...