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:
City of Hope study demonstrates proof of concept for targeted new approach to treat pancreatic cancer
Flex appeal: ‘Trade-off’ between armor and efficiency in sea turtle shells
Spray drying tech used in instant coffee applied to high-capacity battery production
Understanding consumer dynamics in community-supported agriculture in Japan
Cannabidiol therapy could reduce symptoms in autistic children and teenagers
Do “completely dark” dark matter halos exist?
In Guatemala, painted altar found at Tikal adds new context to mysterious Maya history
3 schools win NFL PLAY 60 grants to boost student fitness
Urinals without splashback
Even under stress, male-female pairs had each other’s backs
Predictable visual stimuli as an early indicator for autism spectrum disorder in children
AI threats in software development revealed in new study from The University of Texas at San Antonio
Funding to support mental health at work is failing to deliver results
The Lancet: Nearly 500,000 children could die from AIDS-related causes by 2030 without stable PEPFAR programmes, expert policy analysis estimates
Eclipse echoes: groundbreaking study reveals surprising avian vocal patterns during solar eclipse
Mirvie announces results from largest molecular study in pregnancy and clinical validation of simple blood test to predict risk for preeclampsia months before symptoms
Eating only during the daytime could protect people from heart risks of shift work
Discovery of mitochondrial protein by researchers at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University opens path to therapeutic advances for heart and Alzheimer’s disease
Recognizing the bridge builders between neuroscience and psychiatry
Lactic acid bacteria can improve plant-based dairy alternatives
Public housing smoking ban reduced heart attacks and strokes
Positron emission tomography in psychiatry: Dr. Romina Mizrahi maps the molecular future
Post-trauma drug blocks fear response in female mice, study shows
Trees could be spying on illegal gold mining operations in the Amazon rainforest
Even after a thousand bends, performance remains uncompromised!
Survey: Women’s perceptions of perimenopause
Singapore scientists pioneer non-invasive 3D imaging to transform skin cancer management
Powerful new tool promises major advances in cancer treatment
Inflammation and the brain: how immune activity can alter mood and fuel anxiety
Researchers demonstrate the UK’s first long-distance ultra-secure communication over a quantum network
[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.