Medical Errors: Third Leading Cause of Death in the Nation

A recent study from Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers indicates that the third leading cause of death in the U.S. is medical mistakes. An estimated 250,000 people die each year from medical errors, ranking it only after cancer and heart disease which each take approximately 600,000 lives each.

Medical Mistakes Not Recorded in CDC Reporting

Exact statistics of the number of lives taken by medical errors is unknown, due in part to the coding system to record death certificate data in use by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Under this current system, diagnostic mistakes, surgical complications, miscommunications, medication errors and bad judgment cannot be captured.

As a result, the CDCs mortality stats only reflect the “underlying cause of death,” meaning the condition that originally led the patient to seek treatment. So even if medical mistakes are listed on a death certificate, those errors won’t be included in the published report totals. Only the underlying, original condition, such as cancer or heart disease, is tallied, even when it did not directly cause the death.

The authors of the study state that this gap in reporting the full extent of fatal medical mistakes contributes to lack of research funding and an absence of public awareness. They urged the addition of a field on death certificates that asks specifically if it was a preventable medical care complication contributed. This would make it possible for the CDC to include medical errors in its yearly reporting of leading causes of death.

The study’s authors also state that “while no method of investigating and documenting preventable harm is perfect, some form of data collection of death due to medical error is needed to address the problem.”

Personal Injury Lawyer with Medical Error Experience

If you or a loved one have been affected by a medical error that resulted in serious injury or death, don’t try to handle it on your own. For a successful trial outcome and a fair settlement, you need personal injury lawyer who will bring experience, skill and personal attention to your case.  The Law Office of Gloria Seidule has over 25 years medical negligence and malpractice law in Stuart, Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce, FL, and we can help you seek the financial restitution you deserve.

Avastin Eye Infections and Medical Malpractice

What is Avastin?

Avastin is manufactured by Genentech, Inc., and is the brand name for the drug Bevacizumab. It was created to treat a variety of cancers, including kidney, brain, colon and lung cancer. Avastin has often been used off-label for the treatment of macular degeneration. One primary reason for this off-label use is the price. While Lucentis, a similar drug approved by the FDA for macular degeneration, costs nearly $2000 per injection, Avastin is a mere $50.

Sadly, dozens of patients have suffered severe eye infections, sometimes resulting in blindness. Other complications include:

• Pain and Inflammation
• Endophthalmitis
• Misty or cloudy vision
• Damage to cornea
• Retinal tears and/or detachment
• Formation of cataracts
• Hypotony (a reduction of eye pressure)
• Glaucoma (increase of eye pressure)

The Dangers of Avastin for Off-Label Macular Degeneration Treatment

It is known that a number of these complications occurred as a result of contamination at the compounding pharmacies during the packaging of individual doses. Before Avastin can be administered for ocular treatment, the larger dosing used for cancer patients must be split into smaller doses and packaged in syringes for injection into the eye. Any increase in the handling of medication introduces a greater risk of bacterial contamination. As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has limited oversight of these pharmacies, their regulation falls under each state’s pharmacy board.

Recently, Gloria Seidule has notified a doctor on the Treasure Coast in St. Lucie County and Palm Beach County, of several potential lawsuits for Avastin injections that caused serious eye infections and blindness. Dr. Salomon Melgen is facing numerous lawsuits for causing eye infections and unnecessary laser treatments for macular degeneration.

Gloria Seidule is currently representing numerous former patients of Dr. Melgen who have been permanently injured by the alleged malpractice of Dr. Melgen. If you received treatment by Dr. Melgen and would like to have a free legal consultation, call GloriaLaw at 772-287-1220.

Do You Have an Avastin Lawsuit?

If you have suffered loss of vision, eye infection or any of the complications listed above as a result of off-label Avastin treatment for your macular degeneration, you should contact GloriaLaw to determine if:

• The Avastin you received was tainted due to contamination introduced at a compounding pharmacy, and if you have a medical malpractice case against them
• Your loss of vision was caused by the medical malpractice of the doctor
• The doctor did not to advise you of other, FDA-approved treatments as options that carried a lower risk of infection

Attorney Gloria Seidule is a skilled Personal Injury Attorney who has been practicing for over 27 years. Contact her today to receive a careful evaluation of your individual case and free consultation. Visit our website at GloriaLaw.com or call 772-287-1220.