Articles related to PATIENT SAFETY

The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled that a patient’s statements to a physician remained protected by physician-patient privilege despite police presence during a clinical conversation. The decision arose from a newborn death prosecution and highlights the fact-specific nature of confidentiality protections.

A Georgia woman alleges that a pathology specimen mix-up led to an erroneous cancer diagnosis and an unnecessary hysterectomy. The lawsuit highlights the potential consequences of laboratory identification failures and diagnostic verification breakdowns.

A malpractice lawsuit alleges a prosthetic heart valve was implanted upside down during pediatric cardiac surgery, resulting in prolonged postoperative shock and ECMO support before revision surgery at a second institution. The allegations remain unproven and litigation is ongoing.

The FDA classified a voluntary nationwide recall involving nearly 12 million cartons of Rohto Cooling Eye Drops after a lack of assurance of sterility was identified. The action was designated a Class II recall, indicating medically reversible risks or a remote probability of serious harm.

A medical ICU implemented risk-stratified nursing interventions to prevent unplanned extubation and reduced event rates from 1.307 to 0.344 per 100 ventilator days over five years. The quality improvement initiative focused on assessment, communication, and standardized prevention bundles.

An AI-enabled fetal monitoring alert system alone did not improve management of uterine tachysystole, but pairing the system with nurse education was associated with more timely evidence-based interventions. Improvements in tachysystole incidence were not observed.