Updates and Insights: Emergency Room Errors

Study Reveals 7 Surgeries Lead to 80 Percent of Deaths

May 26, 2017

Consider this: over 3 million Americans undergo surgery each year in the United States. Some of these procedures are routine, scheduled in advance, with a low risk of complications. Others are emergent, life-saving interventions brought on by sudden, dangerous medical events. Among all surgeries, emergency general surgery (EGS) accounts for 11 percent of admissions and 50 percent of surgical mortality in the United States. Perhaps more shockingly, a study identified that 7 surgeries account for 80 percent of...

Is it Medical Malpractice if New Jersey Doctors Fail to Recognize Child Abuse?

Feb 23, 2017

It is a terrible question, but one that needs answering: can a doctor be held liable for medical malpractice in New Jersey if he or she fails to recognize that a child is the victim of abuse? According to a recent decision in South Jersey, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Specifically, a medical malpractice claim was brought against two doctors who failed to diagnose a broken leg in a 2-month-old boy who was being abused. The young boy...

When a Doctor Fails to Diagnose Appendicitis in New Jersey

Feb 14, 2017

Abdominal pain is an extremely common symptom that may be indicative of a wide variety of conditions. In fact, between five and ten percent of the patients who enter emergency rooms cite abdominal pain as one of their symptoms. This can be problematic for patients who suffer from more acute and life-threatening conditions, such as appendicitis, because doctors may not immediately identify appendicitis as the underlying cause of their abdominal pain. In fact, misdiagnosis of appendicitis...

Emergency Room Errors in New Jersey During the Holidays

Dec 28, 2016

During the holiday season, you find it everywhere you go: more people, more congestion, more stress, more exhaustion–and if you are in an emergency room–more mistakes. Hospitals and emergency care centers are always bustling with patients, doctors, and other staff; however, these places become particularly inundated during the holidays. Cold and flu season, heart disease and cardiac-related events, conditions triggered or exacerbated by stress, heavy foods, and excessive alcohol consumption: these are just some of the...