Parents-to-be in New Mexico may be concerned about the threat of premature birth and preterm labor, both of which may be associated with dangerous outcomes and long-term health problems for mothers and babies. While some premature births are caused by medical...
The primary causes of medication errors
The high amount of medications prescribed by doctors in New Mexico and around the country means that errors are likely made in the handling or prescription. These errors could result in more harm to patients than mild discomfort. Knowing why errors happen gives a...
Tips medical staff can use to prevent medication errors
Annually, there are an estimated seven million patients who are victims of medication errors. Medication errors cost healthcare providers in New Mexico and throughout the country $21 billion per year. However, it is believed that up to 25% of those mistakes could be...
Cluster headaches and why they are so misdiagnosed
Residents of New Mexico who experience frequent headaches may have a neurological condition known as cluster headache. Cluster headache attacks can last between 15 minutes and three hours, can occur several times a day and are so excruciating that many have compared...
Medical updates in predicting Parkinson disease
Although Parkinson's disease can have major impacts on a person's life in New Mexico or elsewhere, diagnosing the disease and predicting the progression of the disease is difficult. According to polls, approximately 25 percent of those with Parkinson disease are...
Vascular events, infections, cancers all prone to misdiagnosis
New Mexico residents know that there's always the risk of having a medical condition misdiagnosed. However, this risk is especially high among cancers, vascular events and infections. Investigators at Johns Hopkins University led a recent study analyzing the rate of...
Conditions that gout can be mistaken for
Some New Mexico residents may suffer from gout, the inflammatory arthritis caused by a build-up of uric acid. What's worse is that when they go to the doctor for a diagnosis, they often receive the incorrect one. Below are six conditions that gout can often be...
Erb’s palsy, and its different types
One of the most well-known birth injuries in New Mexico is Erb's palsy, a disorder where the brachial plexus nerves are damaged and cause partial or total paralysis in the affected arm and hand. This is accompanied by atrophy of the surrounding chest and shoulder...
Medication errors and ways to prevent them
Every year, at least 7 million people in New Mexico and across the U.S. are subject to a preventable medication error. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says that 2% to 5% of all hospital admissions in the world are the result of such errors. Around 30%...
Did you suffer harm from a procedure you didn’t even consent to?
In an emergency, you expect the medical personnel at a New Mexico hospital to do whatever it takes to save your life regardless of whether you have the chance to consent to any treatment deemed necessary. Under normal circumstances, however, you would more than likely...