Arnold & Stafford Legal Blog

How can hospitals avoid 'never events?'

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Surgical Errors on Thursday, September 13, 2018.

One of the most common surgical errors is known as a 'never event.' A never event is a surgical event that never should have happened under the correct circumstances. For example, a surgeon should never leave a sponge inside a patient. Similarly, a surgeon should never operate on the wrong body part.

There are steps that hospitals and clinics can take to avoid never events. For instance, providers can keep digital records that are easily accessible by all people who work with the patient. They can also make sure that each person who comes into contact with the patient verifies the patient's name and birthdate. Even further, doctors can make sure that they don't skip out on explaining an operation or treatment to a patient, so the patient knows what to expect and can say if something doesn't seem right.

A common condition could be overdiagnosed, experts agree

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Misdiagnosis on Thursday, September 6, 2018.

A misdiagnosis is a serious problem that people must address as quickly as possible. One thing that has become clear is that some diagnoses happen far too often. For instance, the diagnosis rate of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased over time, which could be an indication that it's being overdiagnosed.

Between 1997 and 2016, the number of children being diagnosed with this condition increased from 6.1 percent to 10.2 percent. The change is a concern for a few reasons, but there are questions to be asked. For example, is the growth of diagnoses due to better diagnostic criteria? Are children more likely to have ADHD due to social or genetic factors today than in the past? These are both questions to ask to learn more about whether or not mass numbers of children have been misdiagnosed.

Has a Navy CO exercised NJP jurisdiction over you in error?

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law on Friday, August 31, 2018.

Any member of the armed forces can be subjected to nonjudicial punishment, or NJP.

However, if you are in the Army, is a commanding officer in the Navy authorized to exercise jurisdiction over you?

Opioid crisis results in warnings for illegal pharmacies online

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, August 30, 2018.

Drug abuse is a significant problem across the United States, Hinesville included. One of the biggest issues in the U.S. is the opioid crisis. It started when medical providers issued too many prescriptions for opiates, and it continues now with thousands of people addicted to these painkillers and prescription medications.

Many groups of people are at risk when they do not use these medications as prescribed. To avoid having people get them when they're not supposed to, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has started to take action against websites that market unapproved opioids.

Surgical errors: Not always reversible

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Surgical Errors on Friday, August 24, 2018.

The fact about surgical errors is that they're not always reversible. While some patients end up back in surgery to reverse damage that was done, others have no option but to live with the mistakes that were made.

Take, for example, a situation where a sponge is left inside a patient. Normally, that's reversible. The patient may need to go through another surgery, but the item can be removed. An irreversible surgical error may include a mistake like operating on the wrong body part, removing the wrong organ or otherwise making mistakes that cannot be fixed through additional medical care.

You can accidentally set off your ignition interlock device

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in DUI/DWI on Tuesday, August 14, 2018.

If you're arrested and face a DUI, you know that one possibility is that you'll need to use an ignition interlock device (IID) moving forward. This device is like a Breathalyzer, except that it's connected to your vehicle. If you blow into it and are over the legal limit, your vehicle will not turn on and you will not be able to drive.

People facing DUIs need to fight against a conviction for numerous reasons, and an ignition interlock device's installation is one of them. Installing the IID is expensive, and if you fail to pass several tests, it could lock up and require servicing. Every time that happens, you could find yourself paying more and more to drive as a result of your DUI.

Get help with your misdiagnosis case

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Misdiagnosis on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.

A misdiagnosis could be welcome or unwelcome, depending on what was misdiagnosed, but there is one thing to keep in mind regardless: Your health as a patient was at risk. If you were improperly diagnosed as being healthy, you wouldn't be receiving the care you need. Likewise, if you were improperly diagnosed with a disease, you might receive treatments that have side effects you didn't need to be exposed to.

There are reasons for misdiagnoses, which primarily come down to human error or errors in testing. When a doctor begins examining a patient, they look into a differential diagnosis. This is a process of looking at all the symptoms that line up with multiple illnesses and then slowly eliminating each diagnosis one by one. Eliminating possible diagnoses is only possible through further testing or observation in most cases.

Taking action after a wrong-site survey in Georgia

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Surgical Errors on Thursday, August 2, 2018.

Surgeries, no matter how small, are serious occurrences because there is a lot of opportunity for error. Therefore, only extremely competent medical professionals should undertake them, and they should never treat any with complacency.

As a patient, you are likely to be nervous or apprehensive before the surgery; however, you will probably also reassure yourself by remembering that the surgeon is competent and a medical expert. Therefore, when you come out of the surgery and realize that the surgery did not go to plan, the entire situation can feel confusing and frightening.

Alcohol, speeding and the most dangerous times to drive

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law on Tuesday, July 31, 2018.

The experts who track roadway fatalities in our country seem to be as focused on gathering facts as the people who put baseball statistics together.

Thanks to the information-gatherers, we now know which day of the week is safest for drivers, what time of day is the most dangerous to be behind the wheel and more.

Charges for bringing drugs into Georgia

On behalf of Arnold & Stafford, Attorneys at Law posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, July 26, 2018.

Even simple possession of drugs in Georgia can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, if you have been accused of bringing drugs into the state, you could face charges relating to drug trafficking, depending on the exact circumstances and the amount of drugs in your possession.

If you have been accused of drug trafficking, it is important that you take the time to understand how the law works so that you know what variables will potentially affect the consequences you will face and what you can do.