Sabatini and Associates, LLC

Rhode Island Hospital was fined $50,000 and reprimanded by the state Department of Health Monday after its third instance this year of a doctor performing brain surgery in the wrong side of a patient’s head.

“We are extremely concerned about this continuing pattern,” Director of Health David R. Gifford said in a written statement. “While the hospital has made improvements in the operating room, they have not extended these changes to the rest of the hospital.” Read more about the hospital’s medical malpractice.  If you have been injured by medical malpractice, contact our Connecticut medical malpractice lawyers.

Unfortunately, medical malpractice happens far too often and if you have been injured due to medical malpractice, contact one of our Connecticut medical malpractice lawyers.  Another example of medical malpractice was reported last week when the New York state health officials informed over 600 patients of Dr. Harvey Finkelstein, anesthesiologist, after learning that the doctor may have put his patients at risk by reusing syringes. They began investigating Finkelstein back in 2005 after two of his patients contracted hepatitis C. In 2005 officials notified 98 epidural recipients of possible infection after the two cases were reported. No additional cases resulted from those tested. The New York Health Commissioner has identified 628 patients that could have been possibly infected from Jan. of 2001 and Jan. 2005.

 If you have suffered injuries as a result of DVT due to misdiagnosis or failure to timely diagnosis, contact one of our Hartford medical malpractice lawyers.

DVT may occur without obvious symptoms and may be difficult to detect. Up to 50% of DVT incidents may produce minimal symptoms or are completely “silent.”

Contact your doctor if you notice:

• Pain, redness, tenderness, or sudden swelling in the leg
• Skin that is warm to the touch

Seek urgent medical help if you experience any of the following:

• Unexplained shortness of breath
• Chest pain or breathing
• Rapid heart rate
• Unexplained coughing
• Coughing up blood

Diagnosing DVT

Because several other conditions, such as muscle strains, skin infections, and inflammation of superficial veins (phlebitis), display symptoms similar to DVT, the condition may be difficult to diagnose without doing specific imaging studies. If your healthcare provider suspects you could have DVT, here are some of the tests that may be ordered.

Doppler (Duplex Venous) Ultrasound

This noninvasive procedure uses a wand-like device called a transducer that sends sound waves into the leg. The waves travel through the leg tissue and reflect back, enabling a computer to transform them into a moving image that can reveal the presence of a clot.

Doppler Ultrasound is the most popular method for diagnosing DVT. Not only is it painless and easy to perform, it is also very effective for diagnosing thrombi (clots) where they are most dangerous-in the deep veins of the upper leg and groin. It is not quite as effective when diagnosing below the knee.

Venography

In this study, dye is injected into a large vein in the foot or ankle. An x-ray image is then taken to reveal the location of possible clots.

Venography is one of the most accurate ways to identify deep vein thrombosis, but it may be uncomfortable. Occasionally it may cause phlebitis, an inflammation of the superficial veins. In addition to being invasive, venography is expensive. It also requires a high degree of expertise to perform and interpret correctly.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

MRI uses a strong magnet to visualize the body’s internal structures and generate clear, high-quality /images. Preliminary studies suggest that Magnetic Resonance Imaging may be very effective in diagnosing DVT, especially in the thigh and pelvic areas.

Deep Vein Thrombosis is a condition resulting from the formation of a blood clot thrombus inside a deep vein, commonly located in the calf or thigh. DVT occurs when the blood clot either partially or completely blocks the flow of blood in the vein.

Deep veins are surrounded by powerful muscles that contract to help bring blood back to the heart. The quick and efficient return of blood to the heart using these muscles is an essential part of the circulatory process.

When the rhythm of circulation of the blood slows down due to illness, injury, or immobility, there is a tendency for blood to accumulate or “pool.” A static pool of blood offers an ideal environment for clot formation and poses a potential risk for DVT.

If you have been seriously injured as a result of medical malpractice, please contact one of our Hartford medical malpractice lawyers for help.

Healthcare is no longer the personal affair it was even only ten years ago. Today, with the pervasiveness of managed care companies and other insurers, your doctor, the one person who should know your healthcare needs the best, is often beholden to your HMO or PPO. While doctors have access to more medical devices, diagnostic tests and drugs than ever before, the insurance companies have been, and will continue to be, motivated not by your best interest but rather their own bottom line. Because of the increased pressure placed on doctors by insurers to operate highly efficient offices, personal time spent with your doctor has likely declined over the past several years. The result? More misdiagnoses and medical errors.

In fact, statistics on medical malpractice reveal that for every medical error reported, over 50 go unreported. Don’t pay for your healthcare provider’s negligence.

If you have been seriously injured by the actions of a doctor, insurance company, hospital, nurse or other medical professional, it is important to contact an attorney who can help you protect your legal rights.

Our Connecticut trial lawyers have successfully represented people injured as the result of medical malpractice. Please keep in mind that there are time limits within which you must commence suit. In most circumstances, under Connecticut law, you have 2 years from the date of the medical malpractice to file a malpractice lawsuit.  You also must have a medical expert issue a written report concluding that malpractice has taken place prior to filing the lawsuit. The written report is appended to the lawsuit when it is filed with the court. Consequently, it is important to retain your attorney sooner rather than later when pursuing a medical malpractice claim.