The post Jaundice in Newborns Can Lead to Catastrophic Brain Injury appeared first on Westport CT Medical Malpractice Lawyer | Rich Raphael Attorney Blog.
]]>Brain Injury and Jaundice in Newborns
Kernicterus, a relatively rare yet severe form of jaundice, can cause brain damage in babies if left undiagnosed and untreated. Surprisingly, 60 percent of newborns are diagnosed with jaundice, which is the result of a baby’s liver not adequately removing excess bilirubin.
Bilirubin is a naturally occurring substance in the blood, which is removed by the liver. A low-level build-up of bilirubin is normal in newborns, and can often cause mild jaundice in babies. Additionally, it can sometimes take a few days for a newborn’s liver to function properly to remove the excess bilirubin, which is why mild jaundice is normal. However, if a newborn has jaundice and it is not properly monitored by doctors and hospital staff, it can become a serious problem and lead to severe brain damage for which the hospital would be liable.
Treatment for severe jaundice can include phototherapy, which alters the bilirubin in a baby’s blood from toxic to non-toxic. But in some severe cases, such as those that lead to kernicterus, a more extreme treatment such as a blood exchange transfusion may need to be employed to ensure the safety of the child. Hence, diligent monitoring is essential to help prevent the extreme from occurring.
Contact a Compassionate Medical Malpractice Attorney
If you or someone you know had a newborn suffer from misdiagnosed jaundice or kernicterus, you may be eligible for compensation. Contact a compassionate Connecticut medical malpractice attorney today to discuss your case and your options.
The post Jaundice in Newborns Can Lead to Catastrophic Brain Injury appeared first on Westport CT Medical Malpractice Lawyer | Rich Raphael Attorney Blog.
]]>The post What Causes Facial Droop? appeared first on Westport CT Medical Malpractice Lawyer | Rich Raphael Attorney Blog.
]]>According to HealthHype.com, facial droop is a condition which results in a sagging face and is caused by loss of facial muscle tone. Several natural causes can lead to facial droop, and include a malfunction of facial nerves which result in the distortion of normal facial structure.
The facial nerve is one of 12 cranial nerves that emerges directly from the brain and is considered high risk for complications. According to HealthHype, botched surgeries are a main cause of facial droop. Common procedures that can go wrong and result in droop include tumor resection anywhere along the facial nerve, surgery of the parotid gland, acoustic neuroma resection, mastoid surgery, tonsillectomy, and some dental procedures.
Another common cause for facial droop, which may be the fault of a medical professional, is birth trauma. According to The New York Times, the incorrect use of epidural anesthesia or improper use of medication to induce labor can lead to facial droop. The Times reports that facial droop affecting the lower part of the facial nerve is the most common type of facial nerve palsy resulting from birth trauma.
If you or someone you know has experienced facial droop as a result of a medical procedure, you may be eligible for compensation. Do not go through it alone. Contact an experienced Connecticut medical malpractice attorney today.
The post What Causes Facial Droop? appeared first on Westport CT Medical Malpractice Lawyer | Rich Raphael Attorney Blog.
]]>The post Surgical Errors Affect Thousands of Patients Each Year appeared first on Westport CT Medical Malpractice Lawyer | Rich Raphael Attorney Blog.
]]>The estimate includes patients who suffer any type of preventable harm such as misdiagnosis, surgical error, and patient mix-up. Propublica.org notes how this “would make medical errors the third-leading cause of death in America,” third only to cancer and heart disease (the second and first leading cause of death in the U.S., respectively). Surgical errors are often the most serious of medical mistakes, because they are often irreversible mistakes that result in death.
An article in Medical News Today states how events that should never occur during surgery are known in the industry as “never events,” but these events occur far more often than never. Findings published in Surgery (as reported by Medical News Today) report more than 4,000 “never-events” happening each year in the U.S. And between 1990 and 2010, there were more than 80,000 of these across the country.
Examples of surgical error include extremely severe and identifiable mistakes such as a surgeon leaving a tool inside a patient’s body. By some estimates this happens about 39 times a week. Other surgical errors include a doctor operating on a wrong body part, or performing the wrong surgery. This happens less often, but still at a staggering estimate of 20 times each week. Malpractice claims arising from incidents of surgical error have cost the medical industry more than $1.3 billion between 1990 and 2010, according to Medical News Today.
Submitting a medical malpractice claim can be a long and arduous process. If you suspect that you have been a victim of medical malpractice or surgical error in Connecticut, the most important first step is to seek the counsel of a malpractice attorney. Contact a Westport medical malpractice attorney for a free initial consultation today.
The post Surgical Errors Affect Thousands of Patients Each Year appeared first on Westport CT Medical Malpractice Lawyer | Rich Raphael Attorney Blog.
]]>