Diagnosing diabetes is not difficult for most doctors. Getting the right diagnosis, however, can be. How is that so?
With the number of people newly diagnosed with diabetes on the rise, reports have surfaced that some people are being misdiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes when they actually have Type 1. It may seem that being diagnosed with one type or the other is not that significant but, in reality, treating Type 2 when you have Type 1 can be dangerous.
The Differences
A major settlement was approved in Oakland County Circuit Court on July 20. The patients who filed suit against three hospitals in the state along with oncologist Farid Fata will share a settlement that totals $8 million.
Fata was accused and found guilty of intentionally misdiagnosing or mistreating patients. He is currently in prison, serving a 45-year federal sentence. Fata told patients that they had cancer in order to obtain millions from different insurance companies. The patients that he misdiagnosed underwent unnecessary chemotherapy treatments.
The doctor pleaded guilty two years ago to several charges including conspiracy, fraud and money laundering. As part of his sentence, his assets were to be liquidated in order to make restitution.
Kimberly Jeffery-Wolfert is suing her former employer, UC Health, stating that her old bosses did not follow acceptable safety protocols. The former nurse further alleges that the actions, or lack of actions, on the part of the hospital put patients at risk.
Wolfert worked for the healthcare system as an infection preventionist. Part of her duties were overseeing disinfection and sterilization procedures. As part of those duties, Wolfert conducted an investigation to undercover the cause of a multi-drug resistant bacteria that was discovered in various intensive care units at UC Health. Wolfert says that she was told to collect data and nothing else.
According to the former UC Health nurse, hundreds of patients may have been infected. After she discovered that the source of the bacteria were contaminated bronchial scopes, the manufacturer provided cleaning and maintenance procedures to the hospital. UC Health chose not to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, according to Wolfert.
Lori Cichewicz, a woman in Michigan, was told nearly a decade ago that if she had children, they would be born with Down Syndrome. Cichewicz elected to undergo a permanent birth control procedure to eliminate her chances of becoming pregnant. In 2011, Cichewicz gave birth to her daughter.
Fox News reported that Cichewicz had her fallopian tubes blocked in the 2008 procedure and that her doctor eventually told her she no longer needed to use birth control. Just three years later, Reagan was born. Reagan has Down Syndrome and Cichewicz is suing her doctor.
It is not that Reagan was born with Down Syndrome that has Cichewicz seeking damages. Instead, it is because she never wanted children to begin with and did what she was told was necessary to prevent pregnancy. She wants her doctor held accountable and is also seeking damages for emotional distress.
Medical error and negligence does not only occur among the average citizen. The famous are not immune to the risks of improper medical care. When it comes to celebrities and medical malpractice, there may be some that immediately pop into your mind…Michael Jackson, for instance…and some that you haven’t heard of. Here are some of the highest reported instances of famous people and medical negligence.
1. Julie Andrews
The actress, perhaps most famous for her role in ‘Mary Poppins,’ underwent surgery to remove cancerous nodules from her throat. She claimed that her vocal chords were damaged during the surgery and ended up settling with her doctor for an undisclosed amount.
Gastric bypass procedures are done on a daily basis around the country. For many people, the surgery is a last effort in the long battle to lose weight. Medical mistakes can occur during any surgery, but the risk of mistake rises with the level of complication surrounding the procedure. Because gastric bypass surgery can be incredibly risky, it is important to understand potential complications before you make the decision to go under the knife.
The Risks
The risks of gastric bypass surgery often depend on the type of surgery you elect to have. For generality’s sake, we will provide you with a list of potential complications with the typical gastric bypass surgery. Your doctor can provide you with more specifics with your unique situation in mind.
Medical mistakes happen on a daily basis. Mistakes are often simple in nature and take very little to make right. Unfortunately in some cases, the error or negligence causes permanent injury and, worse, death. Here are some of the worst cases of medical malpractice in recent years.
1. Double Amputee
A New York woman, Stacey Galette, underwent a laproscopic procedure in 2009. Doctors accidentally punctured her intestine, she got an infection, the infection led to blood poisoning and, eventually, gangrene. Galette ended up losing both of her legs to amputation. She eventually won a $62 million verdict by jury.
According to a Marion County judge, a doctor who was accused of not reporting a suspected case of child abuse cannot be sued for medical malpractice.
Reports say that Dr. Chris Loman was facing a lawsuit in Indiana for not informing child services that a minor patient was being abused at home. The law in the state requires that doctors report abuse or suspected abuse. Loman examined Jayden Noel, then 1-year-old, for a cut on his lip and bruises on his face in July 2011.
The child was beaten to death in January 2012.
Earlier in the month, we shared the news that a woman in Illinois had one a $53 million medical malpractice lawsuit. One of the defendants was The University of Chicago Medical Center.
Lisa Ewing filed the lawsuit in 2013 on behalf of her 12-year-old son, Isaiah. The child was born with a brain injury and the hospital and medical staff involved in the delivery were found to be negligent in that delivery. According to the original lawsuit, the medical staff made 20 mistakes after Ewing arrived at the hospital to deliver her son.
Mistakes in the delivery included a failure to perform a c-section in a timely manner, diagnose heart rate patterns, and follow the chain of command.
When it comes to general practitioners and surgeons, most people know that these medical professionals can be sued for medical malpractice. Some people are even aware that nurses, dentists and pharmacists can be sued for negligence or error. What about optometrists?
It is difficult to sue an optometrist for medical malpractice in many cases. This is because common errors, like over or under prescribing, cause little to no injury to the patient. You notify your doctor that your lenses are not working well for you, your eyes are re-examined and you are given a new prescription.
While there are few instances in which an optometrist can successfully be sued for medical malpractice, it does happen. The majority of malpractice cases involving optometrists are due to glaucoma, retinal detachment and tumors.
