One of the clinical paradoxes facing doctors is determining when to use antibiotics to treat bacterial infections. The difficulty arises because some viral infections are indistinguishable from bacterial ones. When a doctor chooses to prescribe an antibiotic out of sheer caution, it could result in the creation of antibiotic resistant…
We have written before on the concept of defensive medicine and the monetary effect that it has on health care costs. Essentially, many doctors have become used to performing unnecessary tests to rule out potential conditions out of fear of being sued for malpractice down the road. This practice has…
It is tough enough going to an emergency room after a serious injury, you shouldn’t have to wait an eternity in order to get medical attention. Unfortunately, patients can fall through the cracks in the midst of a busy trauma center, and may not be seen in a reasonable amount…
While we have written a number of posts on injuries suffered through auto accidents, it is also important to realize that head injuries (particularly concussions) can be suffered through a number of ways. In fact, more than two million people will suffer head injuries severe enough to send them to…
A common tenet in the pursuit of curing and preventing cancer is that you have to go to the doctor regularly. This message is regularly directed at men over the age of 30 and younger than 55, because this is the age group that is less likely to see a…
The link between concussions suffered while playing professional football and permanent brain injury has grown over the past few years as more football players are diagnosed with depression, anxiety and other terminal illnesses. The growing number of players exhibiting erratic (and sometimes violent) behavior off the field and even committing…
A number of our posts focus on the legal duty that physicians, nurses and hospital staff in using reasonable care in treating patients. A large part of that duty involves properly assessing patients for treatments; which may include asking questions about what drugs a patient may be allergic to and…
A patient who showed up at a Dallas area hospital complaining of fever and headache and was misdiagnosed as a potential Ebola case has passed away. However, in the wake of the man’s death, the hospital is still under fire for missing the diagnosis. According to a fiercehealthcare.com report, the…
Diagnosing intellectual and developmental disabilities continues to change as technological and scientific advances are made. With these advancements, the guidelines surrounding assessment must also be adjusted. A recent article on disabilityscoop.com highlights the potential changes that may come about as a result of a clinical report published by the American…
For anyone in Oneida who has wondered how doctors can tell if a patient has diabetes, the easiest way is to test the patient’s A1C levels. By ordering a simple test, doctors can learn a patient’s blood sugar levels for the past two to three months. If it is that…