Assumptions of safety by scientists may have increased the risk of physician error and long-term injuries for New Mexico patients who have received an MRI. The magnetic resonance imaging scan is typically performed with a contrasting agent, which is a metal that...
Staying safe while in the hospital
In New Mexico and rest of the U.S., about 400,000 deaths per year are attributable to hospital errors that could have been prevented. An expert in patient safety at one large hospital believes that hospitals are responsible for the patients' well-being while they are...
Research finds common accidents may cause brain damage
Sports and motorcycle enthusiasts in New Mexico may want to take heed: Traditional understanding of brain injury has been turned on its head by new research out of Stanford University. The idea that injury to this delicate organ primarily originates in the severity of...
Study reveals that surgical errors remain a problem
New Mexico residents may be aware that the medical community has worked earnestly in recent years to reduce the number of mistakes made during surgery. The Universal Protocol was introduced a decade ago to provide a safety standard for surgical procedures, but...
AltertSpace to improve pharmaceutical errors from alert fatigue
As more electronic health record platforms and health IT systems have been implemented, physicians have received more and more alert notifications. This has resulted in health care providers ignoring some alerts, which has had a negative impact on patient safety....
Surgical errors caused by common human behaviors
New Mexico residents who may have heard stories about surgical mistakes such as a sponge being left in a patient may be interested to know that such incidents are so rare they are referred to as "never events." This indicates that they are never supposed to happen,...
Information about cerebral palsy causes
New Mexico parents may want to know that researchers have discovered a stronger genetic cause for cerebral palsy than once had been thought, leading them to call for unnecessary cesarean deliveries to end. The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published a...
4 major gynecological cancers
A New Mexico patient who is diagnosed with cancer may be required to undergo different types of treatment. Some cancers are only associated with women's reproductive systems, and without proper screening, it can be difficult to diagnose the diseases. The four main...
Incorrect diagnoses lead to incorrect treatment
Some New Mexico residents may be aware that the overuse of antibiotics has potentially lead to a person's resistance to the drug. However, a recent report indicates that part of the reason some antibiotics may be overused is due to a misdiagnosis by a medical...
Electronic health records are becoming common
As many New Mexico residents know, electronic health records are quickly becoming standard as hospitals, other health care facilities and physician practices are routinely using them. However, EHRs are evolving in terms of physician use and training modalities. This...
