Hospital Negligence | Denver Trial Attorney Blog | Leventhal Puga Braley P.C.
Sexual Abuse in Hospitals—The Ugly Truth
We place a high degree of trust in doctors and other medical professionals to take care of patients and treat them with dignity. It’s very disturbing when this trust is broken. And it’s totally inexcusable when patients are intentionally violated in a sexual manner.
Sadly, we’re beginning to discover that sexual abuse in hospitals is much more common than we may have feared. Recent investigations and high-profile cases demonstrate that hospitals, medical boards, and other authorities are frequently far too lenient when it comes to discovering and punishing these offenders. Read the rest »
Was Your Medical Treatment Delayed at the Hospital?
When a patient seeks medical care at a hospital emergency room, you have the right be treated by qualified professionals in a timely manner. When your treatment is delayed due to professional negligence, it can result in a delayed diagnosis that may cause serious injury or death. Read the rest »
Hospitals and Bedsores: Deadlier Than You Think
Many of us have heard of bedsores, the small wounds that develop after the skin is allowed to be in contact with a bed for an extended period of time. Bedsores are a type of pressure ulcers. The formation of a pressure ulcer is a never event. They are most prevalent in nursing homes and hospitals, where staff need to make sure residents and patients move the proper amount to avoid the wound. A minor bedsore is treated similarly to a cut and can heal fairly quickly and easily on its own. But, if the staff fail to do their jobs, and bedsores are allowed to develop far past the early stages, then they can have a serious impact on the victim’s health. It may even prove to be fatal. Read the rest »
CLABSIs: What Are They?
In our recent blog, we talked about the infections associated with catheters, which are part of a larger problem in the United States: hospital-acquired infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least one in 31 hospital patients has one or more HAIs at any given time. These diseases range from urinary tract infections to Clostridium difficile, and they are caused by unsanitary conditions.
Catheters and the Risk of Infection
A July 2019 study published by the University of Michigan found that up to 25% of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are linked to indwelling devices like catheters. Worse yet, the study concluded that doctors and nurses’ failures to communicate were usually the cause of these infections. Read the rest »
The Terrible Cost of the Cone of Silence
Nobody wants to think about medical mistakes, but they happen all the time. What is even more frustrating is hospitals and doctors do all they can to hide the mistakes and avoid taking responsibility for failures in their systems.
This so-called cone of silence occurs when information is kept confidential among a select few. In the medical field, doctors may feel they need to protect other doctors, and hospitals may feel they need to protect their bottom line. But covering up medical malpractice is never acceptable. Here’s why. Read the rest »
Infections Confirmed in Porter Adventist Surgery Patients
The Colorado Health Department has confirmed surgical site infections in a number of patients who received surgery at Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver. The number of patients has not been released; the types of infection have not been disclosed.
Porter Adventist is currently under investigation after Colorado health inspectors discovered that the hospital failed to comply with mandatory sterilization protocols on surgical equipment between July 21, 2016, and April 5, 2018. The health department was notified of the breach on February 21st, and conducted an on-site survey the next day. Read the rest »
Infection Dangers to Consider Before Heading to the Hospital
“The older you are, the worse the hospital is for you.”
That CNN headline grabbed attention when it was originally published in August 2016, and it is just as true now as it was then. The article, written by a correspondent for Kaiser Health News, detailed how elderly patients check into hospitals to be treated and leave in much worse condition. “About one-third of patients over 70 years old and more than half of patients over 85 leave the hospital more disabled than when they arrived, research shows.”
The danger of hospitals is real, but it is not limited to the elderly. One serious risk to all healthcare patients is infection. Read the rest »