Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Can sepsis cause pneumonia?

Can sepsis cause pneumonia?

No, but pneumonia can cause sepsis. If pneumonia gets into the bloodstream, it causes severe sepsis which is a form of shock.

Multi-organ failure can follow so the kidneys can shut down, liver, and heart can be damaged. You can also form abscesses within the lungs, certain types of bacteria such as stapholococcus are famous for forming abscesses inside the lung.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Sepsis Signs and Symptoms

Not everyone will have the same sepsis symptoms. Some of the symptoms are common to other disorders and will be overlooked. A doctor will need to pay attention with his or her eyes and ears and put all the sepsis symptom puzzle pieces together.

Sepsis symptoms are fever or on the other side of the coin, lower than average body temperature. Another sepsis symptom is elevated blood cell count or -- and this is confusing -- lower than normal white blood cell count

People suffering from sepsis also have chills or severe shaking.

The heart may be beating very fast, and breathing could be rapid. Low blood pressure is often observed in septic patients.

Watch out for confusion and agitation as well as dizziness and decreased urination.

Some with sepsis develop a reddish discoloration rash on their skin or small dark red dots throughout the body.

People may also suffer painful joints at the wrist, back, hips, elbows, ankles, and knees.

As you can see some of the symptoms sound like the flu or other disorders.

On a weirdly personal note, a friend and an acquaintance died of sepsis during the month of November. They knew each other but died in different cities. Sepsis was the cause of death in both cases. I have to wonder if they knew the cause, why didn't they know the treatment or cure or more importantly, the diagnosis to begin with.

Misdiagnosing sepsis is considered medical malpractice.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

What is sepsis pneumonia?

Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are a major threat to patient safety and are among the most common adverse events in hospital settings.

It is not known why some people develop invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae disease while others do not.

The best way to prevent the spread of invasive streptococcal pneumonia bacteria is by covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, as well as frequent and thorough hand washing.

This type of bacteria can cause severe illnesses for the elderly, children, and for people with weakened immune systems. This type of bacteria is considered invasive when found in the blood, spinal fluid, or other normally sterile sites.

Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause different symptoms depending on the part of the body it infects. Invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause blood infections and inflammation of the lining of the brain also known as meningitis.

This type of pneumonia may be treated with antibiotics but the problem is drug resistance caused by the misuse of antibiotics.

Sepsis pneumonia contracted in a hospital setting is considered medical malpractice.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Medical Malpractice: Are Teaching Hospitals Safe?

Medical Malpractice: Are Teaching Hospitals Safe?

In one teaching hospital in the Southwest, the medical situation of a patient went from bad to worse.

A woman with no major health problems except arthritis in her knee became an amputee after 24 surgeries in less than two years.

The patient was injured in a surgery done by a resident trainee and that damage became life-threatening after she went days without seeing a faculty doctor.

Serious errors occur all the time; business as usual with many outcomes potentially preventable.

So many questions abound even with the records provided:

Bad and false recordkeeping as to whom did what or nothing at all - signatures missing.

Clinical outcomes lower than the national average.

Inexperienced students perform complex surgery without any supervision.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Medical Malpractice and Big Pharma Payroll

Before you decide to take the pill that your doctor prescribes, ask him or her if he or she is on the payroll for that pharmaceutical company. According to, it's not unusual for doctors to be paid by big pharma to promote meds that are not safe or that the patient doesn't need.

Many of these paid mouthpieces have malpractice lawsuits against them as well as FDA investigations and warnings.

A recent investigation by ProPublica, compiled from disclosures by seven companies, created a database which covers $257.8 million in big pharma payouts to doctors since 2009 for speaking, consulting and other duties.

The companies include Eli Lily, Cephalon, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co. and Pfizer.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

OB-GYN medical malpractice in Pa.

OBGYN Medical Malpractice Insurance

Here's a guy who is doing double duty as a Senator and delivering babies.

And he's decided to stop birthing babies because the medical malpractice insurance is too expensive.

As a Senator you would think he would try to do something about that but even though it's against Congressional rules to hold down two jobs, he does. The Republican senator from Oklahoma says he pays for delivering babies out of his own pocket and the medical malpractice premiums too.

One has to wonder if he's in favor of or against healthcare reform?

Has your baby or child suffered medical malpractice in Pa.? If yes, please note there is a statute of limitations on filing Pa. medical malpractice claims. Ask the lawyers for help.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Medical malpractice: What if doctors disclosed errors?

Medical malpractice: What if doctors disclosed errors?

What would happen to Philadelphia medical malpractice claims if doctors disclosed medical errors?

According to a recent study where doctors were encouraged to disclose medical errors and patients received a monetary offer from the hospital, medical malpractice claims decreased.

The average monthly number of medical malpractice lawsuits decreased as well as the number of claims. Claim resolution time decreased as did liability costs, patient compensation, and non-compensation legal costs.