April 13, 2012 (Press-News.org) For patients and their families, there are few areas in medicine more frustrating and unnerving than the issue of a misdiagnoses. To have availed themselves of the best modern medicine has to offer, and still suffer the bad result of a diagnostic error, seems supremely unfair, especially if it results in their death, leaving their family with the consolation of a wrongful death suit.
Doctors are Not Infallible
A recent study points out that 47 percent of doctors encounter diagnostic errors in the practice at least monthly. And these errors are not without consequence, as 64 percent say that up to 10 percent of the observed errors "directly result in patient harm."
Almost all of the clinicians in the study (96 percent) felt that diagnostic errors are preventable some of the time.
When You Need a Second Opinion
Not all diagnoses require a second opinion. Many diagnoses are sufficiently obvious that they are unlikely to done in error or result in harm. However, one doctor, Hardeep Sigh, who is the author of several studies of diagnostic errors suggest some areas deserve a second review.
In the Wall Street Journal's Health Blog, areas for concern include soft tissue cancer, bladder and prostate, gynecologic malignancies, lung and colon cancers, and brain tumors.
When Experts Disagree
These areas are prone to variability from specialists, and often the dangerous consequence to a patient resulting from an undiagnosed or misdiagnosed cancer, the importance of having a second review is heightened.
Of course, there is no guarantee that the second opinion will be correct, but a second set of eyes increases the chance that unusual presentations may be caught. Areas where diagnoses and treatment decisions are difficult, a second review can also help with patient understanding, allow them to more fully understand the range of treatment options.
Defensive Medicine
Many tests and some treatment are done purely to create protect the doctor in the case of a malpractice lawsuit. A second opinion might be a more cost effective strategy, saving the patient both the expense and discomfort of the test.
If you have questions about your treatment, ask them. If you find the answers unsatisfactory, get a second opinion. And if you are injured by some treatment or lack of treatment, speak with an attorney.
Article provided by Davis Law Firm
Visit us at yournewmexicolawfirm.com
Doctors and Second Opinions: In Some Cases, It Is Your Best Option
A study reports that almost half of doctors surveyed find diagnostic errors every month. Some of those errors result in patient harm, suggesting the need for second opinions with some diagnoses.
2012-04-13
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Train Accidents Plague Chicago Area, Kill Pedestrians
2012-04-13
The Chicago area is reeling after yet another teenager was killed in a train accident. The fifteen year old boy was walking along the tracks early in the morning, likely on his way to school. The exact cause of death remains unknown and police continue to investigate.
Unfortunately, pedestrian deaths related to train accidents are not rare. A pedestrian can be killed when walking along the tracks or can be pulled under a passing train. Additionally, train and car collisions at track intersections occur throughout Chicago.
Whether used to ship goods or for public transportation, ...
Policies, learning-by-doing played important role in reducing ethanol costs
2012-04-13
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study from the University of Illinois concludes that learning-by-doing, stimulated by increased ethanol production, played an important role in inducing technological progress in the corn ethanol industry. It also suggests that biofuel policies, which induced ethanol production beyond the free-market level, served to increase the competitiveness of the industry over time.
The study, co-written by Madhu Khanna, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at Illinois, and Xiaoguang Chen, of the U. of I. Energy Biosciences Institute, quantifies ...
CSA: the Importance of the Truck Driver
2012-04-13
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) new Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program is designed to improve overall safety performance by allowing greater scrutiny of truck companies and their drivers.
The program uses "compliance, enforcement, and remediation" to improve safety on the highways. Truck companies and their drivers are required to comply with the FMCSA's regulations, when they fail, enforcement procedures are applied and remediation is used to correct drivers or companies.
Need for a New Evaluation Process
The CSA ...
A Delicate Balancing Act: Delivering an Infant With Shoulder Dystocia
2012-04-13
The thought of a baby getting stuck during delivery naturally brings extreme fear to the mother and her family, and high stress for the doctor and medical staff. On rare occasions, after the baby's head has emerged from the birth canal, one or both of his or her shoulders becomes wedged behind the mother's pelvic bones, bringing the delivery to a frightening standstill.
Physically, the shoulders normally rotate during delivery to pass the pelvic bones at a certain complementary angle and place. When the shoulders are too big or the mother's pelvic area is too narrow ...
Strip-till improves soybean yield
2012-04-13
URBANA -- Crop yield can be improved by ensuring adequate nutrient availability. But how should you place the fertilizer and what cropping system gives the best yields?
Research conducted by University of Illinois assistant professor of crop sciences Fabián Fernández, professor of crop sciences Emerson Nafziger, and graduate student Bhupinder Farmaha looked at how tillage, and phosphorus and potassium placement and rates, affected the distribution of soybean roots and the levels of water and nutrients in the soil.
"Strip-till produces higher yields than the no-till ...
Exercise and attitude may be thermostat for hot flashes
2012-04-13
Attitude may play an important role in how exercise affects menopausal women, according to Penn State researchers, who identified two types of women -- one experiences more hot flashes after physical activity, while the other experiences fewer.
"The most consistent factor that seemed to differentiate the two groups was perceived control over hot flashes," said Steriani Elavsky, assistant professor of kinesiology. "These women have ways of dealing with (hot flashes) and they believe they can control or cope with them in an effective way on a daily basis."
Women who ...
New York Construction Accident Lawyer from The Perecman Firm Comments on West Side Fatal Crane Collapse
2012-04-13
A 30-year old New York construction worker died and four others were injured when a crane collapsed and fell into Site J of the subway's 7 line extension project, reported the New York Post (4/3/2012).
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/mta_suspends_no_train_line_extension_BwKn6J1Hg6F6bUmcgMvnuJ#ixzz1r5klcoXe
Fire Department of New York officials said the crane's boom came apart in two pieces, reported ABC News (4/4/2012).
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/nyc-officials-dead-hurt-crane-accident-16068773
This construction accident was New York City's ...
UF-led team uses new observatory to characterize low-mass planets orbiting nearby star
2012-04-13
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida astronomers have found compelling evidence for two low-mass planets orbiting the nearby star Fomalhaut, just 25 light years from Earth.
Twice as massive as the sun and 20 times brighter, Fomalhaut is surrounded by a ring of dust and debris, making it a favorite system for astronomers to study and a natural laboratory for testing planet formation theories.
In 2008, images of Fomalhaut taken by the Hubble Space Telescope led to the discovery of "Fomalhaut b," the first extra solar planet to be directly detected in visible light. ...
Fine-scale analysis of the human brain yields insight into its distinctive composition
2012-04-13
Scientists at the Allen Institute for Brain Science have identified similarities and differences among regions of the human brain, among the brains of human individuals, and between humans and mice by analyzing the expression of approximately 1,000 genes in the brain. The study, published online today in the journal Cell, sheds light on the human brain in general and also serves as an introduction to what the associated publicly available dataset can offer the scientific community.
This study reveals a high degree of similarity among human individuals. Only 5% of the ...
New York Construction Accident Lawyer from The Perecman Firm Comments on New York Construction Law Following Fatal Brooklyn House Collapse
2012-04-13
A 25-year old New York construction worker died when a house collapsed in Brooklyn, reported the New York Daily News (4/3/2012).
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/1-worker-critically-injured-4-hurt-brooklyn-building-collapse-article-1.1055111#ixzz1qzzFF4sT
"Of the many hazards that can happen on a construction site, a building collapse is one of the most catastrophic construction accidents that can take place," said David Perecman, a construction accident lawyer in New York with over 30 years of experience providing falling debris construction ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Making lighter work of calculating fluid and heat flow
Normalizing blood sugar can halve heart attack risk
Lowering blood sugar cuts heart attack risk in people with prediabetes
Study links genetic variants to risk of blinding eye disease in premature infants
Non-opioid ‘pain sponge’ therapy halts cartilage degeneration and relieves chronic pain
AI can pick up cultural values by mimicking how kids learn
China’s ecological redlines offer fast track to 30 x 30 global conservation goal
Invisible indoor threats: emerging household contaminants and their growing risks to human health
Adding antibody treatment to chemo boosts outcomes for children with rare cancer
Germline pathogenic variants among women without a history of breast cancer
Tanning beds triple melanoma risk, potentially causing broad DNA damage
Unique bond identified as key to viral infection speed
Indoor tanning makes youthful skin much older on a genetic level
Mouse model sheds new light on the causes and potential solutions to human GI problems linked to muscular dystrophy
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine ahead-of-print tip sheet: December 12, 2025
Smarter tools for peering into the microscopic world
Applications open for funding to conduct research in the Kinsey Institute archives
Global measure underestimates the severity of food insecurity
Child survivors of critical illness are missing out on timely follow up care
Risk-based vs annual breast cancer screening / the WISDOM randomized clinical trial
University of Toronto launches Electric Vehicle Innovation Ontario to accelerate advanced EV technologies and build Canada’s innovation advantage
Early relapse predicts poor outcomes in aggressive blood cancer
American College of Lifestyle Medicine applauds two CMS models aligned with lifestyle medicine practice and reimbursement
Clinical trial finds cannabis use not a barrier to quitting nicotine vaping
Supplemental nutrition assistance program policies and food insecurity
Switching immune cells to “night mode” could limit damage after a heart attack, study suggests
URI-based Global RIghts Project report spotlights continued troubling trends in worldwide inhumane treatment
Neutrophils are less aggressive at night, explaining why nighttime heart attacks cause less damage than daytime events
Menopausal hormone therapy may not pose breast cancer risk for women with BRCA mutations
Mobile health tool may improve quality of life for adolescent and young adult breast cancer survivors
[Press-News.org] Doctors and Second Opinions: In Some Cases, It Is Your Best OptionA study reports that almost half of doctors surveyed find diagnostic errors every month. Some of those errors result in patient harm, suggesting the need for second opinions with some diagnoses.