Meyers Evans Lupetin & Unatin, LLC

[07/12/19]   Osteomyelitis and discitis are infections of the spine. These diseases are rare, but can lead to serious and permanent neurological injuries, including severe pain, paralysis or difficulties walking. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of discitis or osteomyelitis is often delayed by health care providers, because the primary symptom of discitis and osteomyelitis is the very non-specific complaint of back pain. Learn more at our website: https://www.meyersmedmal.com/delayed-diagnosis-of-spinal-infection/

[06/27/19]   In this post we examine the eight most common types / causes of medical malpractice. It is our hope that the more awareness we bring to these situations, the better armed people may be to protect themselves from potential harm. https://www.meyersmedmal.com/the-eight-most-common-types-of-medical-malpractice/

Identifying Medical Malpractice Under Pennsylvania Law

Here's what you need to know about how medical malpractice is defined under Pennsylvania law. https://www.meyersmedmal.com/identifying-medical-malpractice-under-pennsylvania-law/

meyersmedmal.com The following article is part of our series on medical malpractice law in Pennsylvania. This article has been adapted from our free eBook titled What You Need To Know To Protect Yourself And Your Rights. (Click here to download the full e-book.)

Screening for Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Children and Pregnant Women

jamanetwork.com In this issue of JAMA, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) presents its recommendation on screening for elevated blood lead levels in children and pr

Changes in Practice among Physicians with Malpractice Claims | NEJM

Despite the claims of socalled tort reformers NEJM reports that 1% of physicians accounted for nearly one third of medical malpractice claims and that 94% of physicians had none.

nejm.org Special Article from The New England Journal of Medicine — Changes in Practice among Physicians with Malpractice Claims

The Imperative for Climate Action to Protect Health | NEJM

nejm.org Review Article from The New England Journal of Medicine — The Imperative for Climate Action to Protect Health

Johns Hopkins removes three more All Children's Hospital leaders

It is remarkable there Johns Hopkins health system hospital appears to have become aware of the problem that after there was a sufficiently high death rate to significantly alter the statistical rate of death compared to other facilities. These children died one at a time and raises questions concerning a failure of quality assurance.

modernhealthcare.com John Hopkins Medicine has removed three more senior administrators at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., after reported increases in the hospital's death rates for pediatric heart surgeries.

Are You Ready to Respond? Reports of High Harm Complications after Surgery and Invasive Procedures | Advisory

patientsafety.pa.gov Surgery and other invasive procedures carry risk of complication and mortality. Recognizing and responding rapidly to such complications can improve patient outcomes. The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority sought to explore surgical complications and healthcare providers' responses by analyzing e...

The Importance Of Our Rights To A Jury Trial - Meyers Evans Lupetin & Unatin, LLC

The 7th Amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial in civil cases. As your advocates, we will speak the truth on your behalf and do whatever possible to stamp out doubt when you exercise your constitutional rights for what you believe in.

meyersmedmal.com The Constitution is the bedrock of our American society. Not a day goes by without many of us benefiting from one or more of the sacred amendments to our constitution, such as the freedoms of speech or religion, or the right to bear arms. At Meyers Evans Lupetin & Unatin, we are privileged to work e...

Top 20 Settlements in Pennsylvania in 2017 - TopVerdict.com

Congratulations to our partner, Brendan Lupetin.

topverdict.com We are pleased to present to you the list of top 20 settlements obtained in Pennsylvania in the year 2017. The list is comprised of various case types that were filed either in state or federal courts.

Power of Positivity

This girl is a shining star!

Management shake-up at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital

wfla.com Several top managers at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg are resigning, effective immediately. 

Physician's First Watch

The American Society of Hematology has issued guidelines on preventing, diagnosing, and managing venous thromboembolism. Here are some of the highlights from the 200-plus recommendations: https://jwat.ch/2TWJOAW

20 percent of patients with serious conditions are first misdiagnosed, study says

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/20-percent-of-patients-with-serious-conditions-are-first-misdiagnosed-study-says/2017/04/03/e386982a-189f-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html?utm_term=.f5bb274f13e1

washingtonpost.com Mayo Clinic research shows that second opinions often differ from initial evaluations.

Some medical devices deemed unsafe in other nations still sold in U.S.

nbcnews.com Andrew Chappell, whose metal hips had to be removed, wishes he'd known Australia had issued a warning about them. "That would've saved me 3 years of pain."

Deadly bacteria: Pittsburgh family sues drug maker over contaminated laxative

A recent article from Trib Live describes a devastating case in which a drug maker is sued after the death of an infant. Firm Partner Brendan Lupetin is one of the attorneys representing the family.

Read more about this case and the recall of laxative Dicoto Liquid that was found to be contaminated with the bacteria Burkholder cepacia here: https://goo.gl/Lkj5kr

triblive.com They were supposed to grow up together, twins Ariana and Alivia Singleton born one minute and 2 pounds apart. Ariana appeared to be the vocal, ...

Emerging from EHR Purgatory — Moving from Process to Outcomes — NEJM

nejm.org Perspective from The New England Journal of Medicine — Emerging from EHR Purgatory — Moving from Process to Outcomes

Woman Awarded $2M for Botched Gallbladder Surgery

thelegalintelligencer.com A Pittsburgh jury has awarded $2 million to a woman claiming she suffered ongoing internal injuries resulting from a botched gallbladder removal surgery.

Privacy and Security Audits of Electronic Health Information (2014 update)

bok.ahima.org Editor’s note: This update supplants the March 2011 Practice Brief “Security Audits of Electronic Health Information (Updated).”

Emails suggest linens to be 'likely' source in deadly mold outbreak at Pittsburgh hospitals

cnn.com The likely source of a deadly mold outbreak that started in 2014 at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospitals was the hospitals' linen provider, according to findings shared in emails exclusively obtained by CNN.

New US Cancer Staging System Debuts in 9 Months

medscape.com The American Joint Committee on Cancer has a new staging system that elevates 'prognostic' status as the official staging classification of every cancer in the United States.

Duration of device-detected subclinical atrial fibrillation and occurrence of stroke in ASSERT | European Heart Journal | Oxford Academic

More evidence of the danger of untreated a-fib.

academic.oup.com

Probe Of Butler School Water Problems Suggests Employee Misconduct

Attorney Brendan Lupetin is suing the Butler Area School District on behalf of the welfare of the children of Summit Elementary School after high levels of lead were found in the water.

pittsburgh.cbslocal.com A law firm hired by a western Pennsylvania school district to review water problems that forced an elementary school to close has found evidence that some employees may have deleted relevant emails and lied during its investigation.

I want to ask my denist if he could pay | Legal Advice

It is understandable that people seek advice about important things on the Internet. It is also important for people to understand that if a person has suffered a serious harm and they think it should not have occurred lawyers exist for the purpose of finding answers to such questions.

lawguru.com Legal Question & Answers in Medical Malpractice in Pennsylvania : I want to ask my denist if he could pay me for the time I missed work and pain

Does a physician have to divulge all | Legal Advice

lawguru.com Legal Question & Answers in Medical Malpractice in Nebraska : Does a physician have to divulge all health info re: their patient; can they be

Family disturbed by UPMC statements on mold death

triblive.com Chelsea Haines can't get over UPMC's description of her father as an 'avid gardener.' Her dad, John R. Haines, had a small plot on his ...

Family disturbed by UPMC statements on mold death

triblive.com Chelsea Haines can't get over UPMC's description of her father as an 'avid gardener.' Her dad, John R. Haines, had a small plot on his ...

Lawsuit blames death of 6th patient on UPMC mold

Remarkable that UPMC continues to ignore the results of the tests performed by the investigators hired by UPMC demonstrating that linens distributed by Paris were contaminated.

wpxi.com Pittsburgh News Videos

Cancer Death Rates Down, but Big Variation Across US

medscape.com Overall, death rates from cancer are down across the US, but large disparities in cancer-specific mortality rates still exist across the country.

Expert: 'I would put money' on linens causing UPMC mold outbreak

triblive.com A hospital environmental expert who detected mold on linens supplied to UPMC from a DuBois laundry told the Tribune-Review on Friday that he believes laundry ...

Victim's family speaks after linen company implicated in UPMC mold lawsuit

wtae.com Victim's family speaks after linen company implicated in UPMC mold lawsuit

Investigators: Laundry Company Source Of UPMC Mold Outbreak « CBS Pittsburgh

pittsburgh.cbslocal.com Investigators are saying that a laundry company is to blame for the mold outbreak at UPMC hospitals.

Medical culture encourages doctors to avoid admitting mistakes

statnews.com An alarming new study says that most doctors would try to obscure their role in medical errors, and most wouldn't even apologize.

Is There Still a Need for Malpractice Reform?

Any doctor orders treatment or testing because they are afraid that they will be sued if they don't and doesn't share that information with their patient is certainly not practicing patient centered care. It's dishonest.

medscape.com Republicans finally have a chance to do something about tort reform, but is it still a problem for physicians?

Dramatic Drop in Cancer Deaths, but One Cancer Still Up

medscape.com The overall rate of death from all cancers combined has been dropping over the past few decades across the United States, but one cancer is still increasing.

Taking care of an older relative is hard. Will Pennsylvania’s CARE Act make it easier?

Pennsylvania recently passed the CARE Act, which helps mandate the training and information that should be given to people who are caring for an older family member. Being a caregiver adds extra responsibilities and challenges to the family; therefore, having proper education on how to provide care is essential to ensuring a caregiver's success.

publicsource.org Leonard Kijowski, an 88-year-old Ford City resident took care of his wife at home for 12 years. She has Alzheimer’s. Now she’s in a personal care home, and it’s Leonard who needs help — at least with the small stuff. The caregiving took a toll on him, his son, Alan Kijowski, said.

Are we giving up on cardiac arrest patients too soon? University of Arizona study suggests physicians need to give comatose cardiac arrest survivors adequate time before predicting outcomes

Doctors typically give patients who are in a coma after cardiac arrest 48 hours to wake up before concluding that they will not awaken. New data, however, suggests that doctors may want to rethink that time frame.

sciencedaily.com A new study suggests physicians need to give comatose cardiac arrest survivors adequate time before predicting outcomes. The multicenter study showed the time it takes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients to regain consciousness varies widely and is longer than many had thought. Thousands of…

Olympus Kept U.S. Hospitals in the Dark About the Risk of Infection from Endoscopes - Meyers Evans Lupetin & Unatin, LLC

The spread of bacteria through endoscope use is linked to the deaths of 35 patients in the United States since 2013.

meyersmedmal.com A series of emails reveals Olympus kept U.S. hospitals and patients in the dark about the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria through their endoscopes.

New legal safeguards sought for medical errors

The safeguards have to date not protected patients.

thetimes-tribune.com Joan Rivers was an unusual talent. Unfortunately, her unnecessary death in 2014 and the untimely deaths of Michael Jackson, Andy Warhol and John Ritter were hardly unusual. In each case, serious but preventable medical errors were said to have led to thei

Doctors Swamped by 'E-Medicine' Demands: MedlinePlus

A doctor's focus should be on providing quality care for the patient. Electronic medical records divert doctors' focus away from what's important to electronic paperwork, which can lead to dissatisfaction and burnout.

medlineplus.gov Doctors Swamped by 'E-Medicine' Demands

Robots Stake Their Claim in the Operating Room: MedlinePlus

Smart robots have always been a thing of the future, but they may very well become a vital tool of the present. New research shows autonomous robots may be capable of performing complex surgeries with a lower risk of error or complication.

medlineplus.gov Robots Stake Their Claim in the Operating Room

Women Get Worse Cardiac Arrest Care Than Men: Study: MedlinePlus

After cardiac arrest, an angiogram (an x-ray of blood vessels) is often the best procedure to save a patient's life. However, recent data shows that women are less likely to receive this procedure compared to men.

medlineplus.gov Women Get Worse Cardiac Arrest Care Than Men: Study

Electronic medical record automated alerts notify physicians when patients at risk of death

The use of electronic medical records raises innumerable issues concerning access, privacy, and misuse. Still, with the advancement of technology in medicine comes the ability to solve real-world problems. A new study describes an automated program to sample electronic medical record data that can alert physicians to signs of sepsis and potentially save lives in the process.

medicalnewstoday.com Hospitalized patients can deteriorate quickly, requiring prompt identification and treatment, especially since each hour of treatment delay can increase the risk of mortality.

Small number of physicians linked to many malpractice claims, Stanford researchers say

Hospitals should protect patients from physicians who have a high risk of committing an error. Intervention programs are long overdue to address this problem.

medicalnewstoday.com A substantial share of all malpractice claims in the United States is attributable to a small number of physicians, according to a study led by researchers at Stanford University and the...

Handwashing gets skipped a third of the time in outpatient healthcare

If hand hygiene supplies are available 100% of the time, why is there only a 63% compliance rate?

medicalnewstoday.com Despite having policies in place to prevent infections, staff at outpatient care facilities fail to follow recommendations for hand hygiene 37 percent of the time, and for safe injection...