Hawaii Personal Injury Blog - Prescription

Death Or Injury From Misdiagnosis Stories

Wayne Parsons — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:28:12 GMT

I have written about the news story that is shaking the country: DEAD BY MISTAKE. Kudos to Hearst News for telling the truth to the public!

Here are the stories behind DEAD BY MISTAKE.

Mother wants her daughter back.

Sharon Moore

Trevor Nelson.

I cannot add to these tragic stories. They were preventable. They could have been avoided. My plea to doctors and hospitals in Hawaii and elsewhere is to spend more time on patient care and good medicine and less time lobbying to make it impossible for injured patients from avoidable medical errors to be made whole. Other articles of interest:

Mistakes Made in Medical Care are the Top Cause of Accidental Death in America.

Doctor Misdiagnosis Results In Alarming Number of Avoidable Injuries And Death

Dead By Mistake: Must Read For All Consumers.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Mistakes Made in Medical Care are the Top Cause of Accidental Death in America.

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:53:29 GMT

Let me start with the facts.

98,000 Americans die from preventable medical errors each year!

99,000 Americans die from preventable hospital acquired infections each year!

The cat is out of the bag. Its all over the news. How many of you have read or heard about the massive expose of the death toll from careless doctors and poorly run hospitals in DEAD BY MISTAKE? As reported in Hearst Newspapers across the country the story starts with Richard Flagg:

Richard Flagg drowned in his own blood.

Stanley Stinnett choked on his own vomit.

Both were victims of the leading cause of accidental death in America -- mistakes made in medical care.

Experts estimate that a staggering 98,000 people die from preventable medical errors each year. More Americans die each month of preventable medical injuries than died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

In addition, a federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study concluded that 99,000 patients a year succumb to hospital-acquired infections. Almost all of those deaths, experts say, also are preventable.

My friend Moon Saito died in Honolulu a few weeks ago during this beautiful Hawaiian summer. Moon was a member of the famed 442nd Infantry _ the Go For Broke Japanese Americans _ who proved their patriotism in WW II. For those who knew Moon Saito they saw a hero and ultimate bravery and sacrifice in a humble and gracious and loving man.

Moon didn't die from a medical error but I thought of Moon Saito when I read about Richard Flagg. I felt a mix of emotions, first sadness and then anger. Moon Saito never met Richard Flagg but I think they would have been friends. They were both fighters. Both warriors. Both hero's. Both good men.

I write in honor of Richard Flagg. After fighting for us and for the United States of America in Viet Nam, Richard came home to fight for his life in a health care system where doctors and hospitals spend too much time trying to escape responsibility for injury and killing people and too little time on patient care. JoAnne Doroshow of The Center For Justice & Democracy helped get Richard Flagg's sad story out into the public eye. Here is what Richard Flagg said at the Forum on Malpractice: Hearing Hosted by U.S. Representative John Conyers, 108th Cong. 69-72 (Feb. 11, 2003):

Thank you for allowing this forum, and thank you to Public Citizen and the Center for Justice & Democracy for caring. My name is Richard Flagg, and I'm 62 years old. I reside in Jersey City, New Jersey. I'm a veteran from Vietnam, a father, and a victim of malpractice.

In September 2000, I was admitted to the hospital in New Jersey to have a simple, small tumor from my left lung. At the time it was considered to be optional surgery, and the only reason I was there was because I was having bleeding problems if I ever had a lung infection. So I went in with that thought in mind, and the doctors paid no attention to protocol. The hospital paid no attention to protocol. They wheeled me into the operating room without asking why I was there, what I was going to be operated on for, and as a consequence, the tumor that was in my left lung is still in my left lung, and three quarters of my right lung is gone, the healthy lung. I'm now confined 24 hours a day, seven days a week to an oxygen hose.

Two years ago I was a barge captain in the United States Merchant Marines. I could walk at a fast pace from bow to stern of a 300-foot ship in a very short time. I was strong. I was in good shape. Today I'm a physical wreck. I'm an emotional wreck. All of this was done to me, but is that why we're here? That's part of it. The biggest part of it is what's happening today.

The tail is definitely wagging the dog. The insurance companies are being allowed to put out misinformation, to talk about things that aren't true. They're allowed to overcharge. Now, I'm somewhat of an amateur historian, and I do have a degree in history, as well as one in biology and a minor in chemistry, and it seems to me that back in 1789 when the Constitution of the United States was written our forefathers had in mind one thing. Justice in this country was to be decided by a jury of our peers. This is not true today. It is in criminal cases. It is in murders. It is in robberies. It isn't in medical malpractice.

If Mr. Bush has his way and the states that already have these caps on certain parts of tort reform, this is what we can look forward to getting worse and worse. I made a quote on a forum on a Web site last week in New Jersey. Someone asked me how do you feel about what's happening with tort reform. I answered it very simply. Once you start taking a person's individual rights and freedoms of our American citizens away, where does it stop? It doesn't, and I referenced Adolf Hitler, Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein, and so forth down the line. I received 125 answers, all of them saying thank you; we didn't know.

There is our problem today. It's mostly misinformation or lack of information. I would like to see people in this room, each one become ambassadors to this. Talk as hard and as long as you can to stop what's happened. That's what we need more than anything else. Thank you very much.

Ask the insurance companies, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Lou Dobbs, the AMA and your own doctors and hospitals why they don't work on solving this death and injury problem and stop trying to get gullible politicians to make them exempt for accountability or responsibility for their wrongs! I get so mad when I hear them shout about lawsuit abuse when the real problem is that they are killing people! Read my article on the history of this attempt by the rich and powerful medical profession and the corrupt insurance industry to escape accountability and tell me what you think.

The History Of Tort Reform - A Story of Corporate Greed And A Conspiracy Against Justice For The People

There are less than 50 medical malpractice claims in Hawaii. Doctors and insurance companies have made bringing a valid claim almost impossible and so expensive that almost no lawyers do medical malpractice cases anymore. Meanwhile patients are injured and dying every day.

Why does Richard Flagg have to fight for his life at home against insurance companies and politicians who put profits before people? Just in case you think the word "justice" is a platitude, think about Richard Flagg. When someone talks to you about lawsuit abuse or tort reform, think about the indignity and abuse that Richard Flagg endured at the hands of the medical profession. Don't let this happen to anyone else.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Can Acetaminophen Kill? FDA panel recommends smaller acetaminophen doses, painkiller bans.

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:52:00 GMT

The CBS Evening News (4/30, lead story, 3:05, Couric) reported, "An FDA panel recommended today that prescription Vicodin [hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen] and Percocet [oxycodone and acetaminophen] be banned, and that over-the-counter Tylenol, Excedrin, Nyquil, and Theraflu contain stronger warning labels...The problem, according to FDA advisors, is that they all contain acetaminophen, which can cause liver damage."

The FDA "panel noted that patients who take Percocet and Vicodin for long periods often need higher and higher doses to achieve the same effect," the New York Times (7/30, A1, Harris) reports in a front-page story. "The two drugs combine a narcotic with acetaminophen," and the panel's vote to "recommend a ban on the combination drugs was one of 11 it took" at the meeting. The experts also recommended "that the FDA reduce the highest allowed dose of acetaminophen in over-the-counter pills...to 325 milligrams, from 500," and "to reduce the maximum daily dosage to less than 4,000 milligrams."

The Wall Street Journal (7/1, Favole) notes that the panel "of 37 doctors, pharmacists, and researchers voted on the recommendations Tuesday after spending two days discussing steps the FDA should take to reduce the number of acetaminophen overdoses. Gerald Dal Pan, director of the FDA's office of drug surveillance, said, "Whatever we do on any of these options, it will really affect the whole healthcare system." The agency also noted that the recommendation to pull "from the market a number of prescription products "may" affect 240 pending drug applications. But some on the panel opposed a sweeping withdraw of prescription acetaminophen combination drugs "that are widely used to control severe, chronic pain."

The AP (7/1, Perrone) reports. The panel decided that "if the drugs stay on the market, they should carry a black box warning, the most serious safety label available." Notably, "drug companies avoided the most damaging potential outcome with the defeat of [a] proposal to pull NyQuil and other over-the-counter cold and cough medicines that combine acetaminophen with other drugs."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Older Adults Have More Drug Interactions

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:24:49 GMT

ScienceDaily reports on Christmas day on a report from the University of Chicago Medical Center that concludes that in the U. S. 1 in 25 older adults, about 2.2 million people, take multiple drugs in combinations that can produce a harmful drug-drug interaction. Fifty percent (50%) of these incidents are from non-prescription medication.

Although the number of people taking medications has remained stable for the last decade, the number of drugs taken by older people has significantly increased. This may be because of more intense therapy for chronic illness, improved access to medications due to Medicare Part D, and the growth of the generic drug market. More than half of older adults now take five or more medications or supplements.

"Older adults are the largest consumer of prescription drugs," said study author Stacy Tessler Lindau, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and of medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center. "We find that they commonly combine these prescription medications with over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements, which can increase their vulnerability to medication side-effects and drug-drug interactions."

"We were reassured that we did not find combinations of the most commonly used drugs that were absolutely forbidden," she added, "one indication that drug safety systems used by physicians, nurses and pharmacists are working."

"However," she added, "our results probably underestimate total risk." Patients using less common drugs and non-prescription medications could be more at risk for harmful interactions because health care providers may be less familiar with their safety profile.

The study can be seen at:

Qato et al. Use of Prescription and Over-the-counter Medications and Dietary Supplements Among Older Adults in the United States. JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2008; 300 (24): 2867 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2008.892

The resaerchers also observed gender as well as ethnic differences. Older Hispanics were more likely than other ethnic groups to be taking no medications. Older women were less likely than older men to take medicines to reduce cholesterol.

"In our study, men and women were equally likely to report a history of cardiovascular disease," said co-author Dima M. Qato, PharmD, MPH, research associate in obstetrics and gynecology at the University. Despite efforts to increase awareness in the medical community that older men and women are equally at risk for a cardiovascular event, "disparities persist in the use of statin medications," she said. "Far fewer women than men were taking these effective cholesterol-lowering drugs."

The study used data collected for the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, a nationally representative multi-purpose survey of adults aged 57 to 85 administered between July 2005 and March 2006. The survey team interviewed 3005 participants in their homes about the medications they used "on a regular schedule, like every day or every week." Ninety-nine percent, 2,976 respondents, completed the interview and medication log.

Ninety-one percent of all respondents regularly used at least one medication, a percentage that increased with age. Twenty-nine percent of older adults took more than five prescription medications.

Sixty-eight percent of the adults who took prescription drugs also used over-the-counter medications or dietary supplements. Men were more likely to take over-the-counter medicines. Women were more likely to use supplements, such as vitamins or herbal remedies.

Nearly half of the drug-drug interactions identified could cause bleeding problems. One of the most common was taking warfarin, a prescription drug designed to prevent blood clots, along with an over-the-counter drug such as aspirin, which also interferes with clotting.

The most common potentially severe medication interactions

Type	Medications Risks
Prescription-prescription
Lisinopril-potassium	Elevated blood-potassium levels (can disrupt heart rhythm)
Warfarin-simvastatin	Bleeding
Prescription-non prescription
Warfarin-aspirin	Bleeding
Atorvastatin-naicin	Muscle weakness, muscle breakdown
Simvastatin-niacin	Muscle weakness, muscle breakdown
Non-prescription-non-prescription
Ginkgo-aspirin	Bleeding

"Physicians and pharmacists need to ask their patients about the use of nonprescription medications," said Lindau. "Patients need to inform their providers about all medications they use--prescription and nonprescription--and should ask their physician or pharmacist about interactions any time they start a new drug, on their own or following the doctor's recommendation."

Carrying a list of all medications in a wallet might be a good idea, the authors suggest. So is using the same pharmacy or chain for all medications, said Qato. The researchers also stressed that health professionals need to stay on top of drug-safety information and consider the evidence, where available, for safety in older adults.

The National Institutes of Health and the University of Chicago Program on Pharmaceutical Policy funded the study. Additional authors include Caleb Alexander, Rena Conti, Michael Johnson, and Phil Schumm of the University of Chicago.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

WARNING! One Out of Five Doses of Medications Given In Hospitals is Wrong

Wayne Parsons — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:28:50 GMT

Medication errors cause 7,000 deaths each year and the frightening truth is that 1 out of every 5 doses of medication given in hospitals is wrong according to the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy’s Control in Managed Care Pharmacy (Medication errors)

The annual cost of drug-related morbidity and mortality is nearly $177 billion in the United States and there is at least one death per day and 1.3 million people are injured each year due to medication errors according to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

Protect yourself. Check the label and ask questions. Even in the hospital ask to speak to a pharmacist. They know more than the nurses and M.D.'s about the drugs. The doctors and nurses are overworked and make many mistakes through oversight and poor communications among themselves and between shifts at the hospital.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

50 Million Prescription Errors Yearly

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:17:56 GMT

The Journal of Patient Safety reports in December 2007 that 49% Americans who take at least one prescription medication daily face the serious risk from 50 million prescription errors by pharmacies nationwide. The problem is serious because an error could be fatal.

The main cause of the problem is inattention by pharmacy employees, lack of knowledge about the products and not looking at the prescription hardcopy during the verification process.

Patients and their families should always read the label before taking presription medications. Also ask the pharmacist to explain any side effects. They are happy to do so and often know much more about the medication than the prescribing doctor. Patients must be proactive these days in light of these alarming statistics. Simple errors like prescribing a drug containing acetaminophen to a person with liver problems can be fatal.

Don't take medications until you are sure what they are and that the type and dosage is correct.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons