Bad Medicine: Medical Mishaps / Daffy Doctors / Poor Health Care

[Herr Cloaca]

Sounds like Theranos

 

[maximus otter]

Man, 55, was sent to morgue ‘while still alive’ - and 'tried to get out of bodybag'

A local coroner’s court is investigating the alleged incident at Rockingham General Hospital near the town of Coolooongup in Western Australia.

According to local media, Kevin Reid, 55, had been declared dead while in palliative care.

He was reported dead on September 5, and his relatives were informed before he was transferred to a morgue, but a death certificate was not immediately issued. A doctor at the hospital was asked to backdate the death certificate, it is claimed.

The doctor who visited to certified the death found fresh blood on his hospital gown, his eyes were open and he was lying in a different position to how he had been placed.

“I believe the fresh blood from a new skin tear, arm position and eye signs were inconsistent with a person who was post-mortem on arrival at the morgue,” the doctor wrote in a report to the coroner.

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/man-55-w...-still-alive-and-tried-to-get-out-of-bodybag/

maximus otter

 

[maximus otter]

Family horrified after hospital wrongly declares father dead

Hospital staff declared a 76-year-old patient dead in his medical records, despite reviving him after his heart stopped for two minutes.

Colin Dawson, a retired lecturer in engineering and grandfather of four, apparently died for a period of two minutes in May while under the care of the Countess of Chester Hospital.

However, his family only found out a month-and-a-half later when they saw “RIP” written in his medical notes.

His daughter, Pam le Ballois, said the distressing discovery was just one in a series of incidents her family have had with the hospital since her dad was admitted in April.

She explained that her father’s health has since declined to the point that they believe this Christmas could be his last.

Mrs Le Ballois said: “Because he has Parkinson’s and needs daily medication they said he’d need a nasal feeding tube to give him his meds. They put it in the wrong place and before they realised they had administered medication into his lungs.

“He got pneumonia and a lung infection and I was told he was lucky to survive.”

The family then had to wait six months to get Dr Dawson discharged to a rehab ward so he could see a physio to help him regain strength.

“We are told he won’t now be able to put the weight back on and, realistically, he won’t be able to walk again. His legs are skeletal.”

Mrs Le Ballois said that Dr Dawson, who has a PhD from Imperial College London, “is unlikely to ever come home”.

She added that it has been virtually impossible to get any meaningful response from the “faceless organisation”, whose last contact with her was over a month ago.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/12/03/family-horrified-hospital-wrongly-declares-father-dead/

maximus otter

 

[ramonmercado]

now the death syrup hits Indonesia.

The deaths of nearly 100 children in Indonesia have prompted the country to suspend sales of all syrup and liquid medication.

It comes just weeks after a cough syrup in The Gambia was linked to the deaths of nearly 70 children.

Indonesia said some syrup medicine was found to contain ingredients linked to acute kidney injuries (AKI), which have killed 99 young children this year. It is not clear if the medicine were imported or locally produced. On Thursday, Indonesian health officials said they had reported around 200 cases of AKI in children, most of who were aged under five.

Earlier this month, the The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert over four cough syrups that were linked to the deaths of almost 70 children in The Gambia. The WHO found the syrups used there - made by an Indian pharmaceutical company - contained "unacceptable amounts" of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol. The syrups have been "potentially linked with acute kidney injuries", said the organisation.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63324653

Controversy continues over cough syrup.

The WHO has said it stands by its action after India said that four cough syrups linked to child deaths in The Gambia complied with specifications when tested at home.

The WHO had issued an alert in October advising regulators to stop the sale of the syrups, made by an Indian firm. An Indian government official told the BBC that the WHO was "presumptuous" in blaming the syrups. But the health body said it was only following its mandate.

"WHO's mandate is to issue global alerts about potential risks. WHO stands by the action taken," an official told the BBC over email.
The health body added that the "contaminated syrups are dangerous and should not be in any medicine, ever".

In late July, medical authorities in The Gambia detected an increase in cases of acute kidney injury among children under the age of five. The government later said around 69 children had died from these injuries.

In October, the WHO said these deaths may be linked to the four cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals, an Indian company. ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-63996180

 

[EnolaGaia]

It's not clear to what extent this Frenchman's loss of his entire penis resulted from medical incompetence. However he's already been awarded compensation on the basis of his doctors having screwed up his cancer treatment.

Bloke fuming after penis unnecessarily amputated by doc who 'played Russian Roulette'

A bloke has been left raging and with a large court settlement after a series of medical mistakes led to the unnecessary removal of his penis following a cancer diagnosis ...

A hospital has been forced to pay a patient huge sums of compensation after it unnecessarily led to a man’s entire penis being amputated.

The furious bloke said unnecessary surgeries at Nantes University Hospital, France, had seen doctors there “play Russian roulette” with him, and now he could no longer “feel anything”.

Around £53,700 (€‎61,000) was ordered to be paid for “wrongful breaches” that led to “a total removal of the penis”. ...

The patient told France Bleu : “I have hatred towards this doctor who did not listen to me. ...

In 2014 the patient, then aged 30, was diagnosed with carcinoma, a type of malignant cancer that attacks epithelial tissue. ...

However, according to the Administrative Court of Nantes, his treatment “was characterized by faulty breaches” that would ultimately lead to the cancer claiming his entire penis. ...

The urologist at the University Hospital had allegedly been aiming to remove as much of the tumour as possible while damaging as little of the penis as they could, but the plan didn’t work.

The pain being caused by the condition intensified: “I was completely crazy,” the patient said, “there was even a moment when I wanted to cut it myself. ...

Years passed and the cancer intensified, and in the end, a doctor in Lyon said the penis had to be removed in its entirety. ...

“It was either death or that. And indeed he had removed everything. He had just left the testicles and had cut at the base".

His lawyer, Me Georges Parastatis had initially sued for one million Euros.

He added that there would be an appeal being filed, "to assert the singularity of this file, which French administrative jurisprudence has difficulty in conceiving.

SOURCE: https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/bloke-fuming-after-penis-unnecessarily-28806314

 

[EnolaGaia]

Even with preventative protocols in place, UK surgeons somehow managed to leave some forceps within a patient following his abdominal surgery.

Forceps left in patient following Alexandra Hospital operation

Metal forceps were left inside a patient in a so-called never event at a Worcestershire hospital.

The error occurred during a complex seven-hour abdominal operation at Alexandra Hospital on 23 November.

The patient spent the night in intensive care at the site in Redditch when the six-inch (15 cm) object could not be retrieved the same day.

The hospital trust has apologised unreservedly and said it would share the findings of an investigation.

The instrument was an arterial clamp resembling a large pair of scissors.

Under normal circumstances, all instruments should be counted and checked twice before the patient is closed.

There is also a process of "signing out" at the end of an operation to confirm they are all accounted for.

A source claimed such an incident - known as a never event - should not be able to happen.

It was also claimed that nothing like this had happened at the hospital for at least 15 years.

The BBC understands that following the lengthy operation, the device was found to be missing and was confirmed to be inside the patient, via x-ray, while they were still under anaesthetic.

When it was not possible to remove the forceps, the patient was transferred to intensive care overnight.

A further operation was carried out the next day to remove the clamp and the patient returned to intensive care where they were described as stable. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-64075014

 

[maximus otter]

A nurse taped his sexual abuse of patients, cops say. He called it his ‘Dexter’ collection.​

Checking on a patient last July, an employee at a Colorado hospital noticed that the lights were off in the ICU room and that the curtain around the bed was drawn. She pulled back the curtain — and found a disturbing sight.

The patient was unconscious, her gown pulled up to expose her breasts and genitals, the employee later told authorities. A nurse, Christopher Lambros, was resting his head on the woman’s stomach, holding up a cellphone as if snapping a selfie.

A police investigation launched the same day uncovered deleted photos and videos showing the 61-year-old nurse sexually assaulting the unconscious patient and at least two others, according to an arrest report from the Grand Junction Police Department. In one video, police said, Lambros whispered to himself, “Don’t ever get rid of these videos.”

“You need to keep them forever … this is your Dexter collection,” he allegedly said, referring to the television show about a blood-spatter expert who has a double life as a serial killer.

The scope of the abuse at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colo., a city of about 65,000 near the Utah border, is not yet known. Five months after the employee’s July 9 encounter with Lambros in the ICU room, officials say the investigation is ongoing.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a...e-called-it-his-dexter-collection/ar-AA15Adot

maximus otter

 

[Stillill]

Even with preventative protocols in place, UK surgeons somehow managed to leave some forceps within a patient following his abdominal surgery.

FULL STORY: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-64075014

Same thing happened to my friends Mum three years ago. They left a clamp on her intestine and she ended up dying because of it.

 

[Herr Cloaca]

'Medbeds' - a miracle cure that doesn't exist

Companies charge thousands for these "medbeds" - but their claims are far from proven.

FULL STORY: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-64070190

 

[ramonmercado]

Now that was a stupid mistake.

A GP surgery accidentally told patients they had aggressive lung cancer instead of wishing them a merry Christmas.

Askern Medical Practice sent the message to people registered with the Doncaster surgery on 23 December.

Carl Chegwin, whose mother also received the text, said he was left upset by the out-of-the-blue message which "was enough to break someone".

The surgery said nobody was available for comment. The centre has almost 8,000 patients.

The text told recipients they had "aggressive lung cancer with metastases", a type of secondary malignant growth. It directed patients to fill out a DS1500 form, which allows people with terminal diseases to claim certain benefits. However, about an hour later people received a second text telling them it was an error and it was meant to wish them a merry Christmas instead.

"The first thing I thought was, 'is this some kind of sick joke?'" Mr Chegwin said. "It completely took me by surprise... It's not often I go to the doctors, then out of the blue, it's cancer. I'm sat there scratching my head thinking, 'I do smoke, do they know something I don't?' They've just told people a few days before Christmas they've got terminal lung cancer. They can't do that."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-64116668

 

[maximus otter]

Deadly case of 'penile gangrene' linked to improperly applied catheter

A man developed an "unusual" case of gangrene, or tissue death, after an improperly applied external catheter cut off blood flow to his penis and led to a serious bacterial infection. Unfortunately, despite aggressive treatment, the man ultimately died of septic shock, a condition in which a person's blood pressure drops dangerously low and organs shut down.

https://www.livescience.com/deadly-case-of-penile-gangrene-linked-to-improperly-applied-catheter

NOTE: All the unpleasant details you don’t want to know are at the link.



maximus otter

 

[maximus otter]

Doctor ‘cuts off man’s penis’ after mistaking syphilis for cancer

An Italian man whose penis was allegedly wrongly amputated by doctors is demanding compensation of €400,000 (£354,000).

Surgeons allegedly amputated the man’s genitals because they thought they had detected cancer in the organ.

That diagnosis was subsequently found to be wrong – the man in fact had a type of syphilis which could have been treated with medication.

The operation took place in San Donato Hospital, in the Tuscan city of Arezzo, in November 2018.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/03/03/doctor-cuts-mans-penis-mistaking-syphilis-cancer/

maximus otter

 

[maximus otter]

People Were Unwittingly Implanted With Fake Devices in Medical Scam, FBI Alleges​

Chronic pain patients were implanted with “dummy” pieces of plastic and told it would ease their pain, according to an indictment charging the former CEO of the firm that made the fake devices with fraud.

Laura Perryman, the former CEO of Stimwave LLC, was arrested in Florida on Thursday. According to an FBI press release, Perryman was indicted “in connection with a scheme to create and sell a non-functioning dummy medical device for implantation into patients suffering from chronic pain, resulting in millions of dollars in losses to federal healthcare programs.” According to the indictment, patients underwent unnecessary implanting procedures as a result of the fraud.

The Stimwave “Pink Stylet” system consisted of an implantable electrode array for stimulating the target nerve, a battery worn externally that powered it, and a separate, 9-inch long implantable receiver. When doctors told Stimwave that the long receiver was difficult to place in some patients, Perryman allegedly created the “White Stylet,” a receiver that doctors could cut to be smaller and easier to implant—but was actually just a piece of plastic that did nothing.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/ak3...with-fake-devices-in-medical-scam-fbi-alleges

maximus otter

 

[FelixAntonius]

 

[ramonmercado]

Controversy continues over cough syrup.

The WHO has said it stands by its action after India said that four cough syrups linked to child deaths in The Gambia complied with specifications when tested at home.

The WHO had issued an alert in October advising regulators to stop the sale of the syrups, made by an Indian firm. An Indian government official told the BBC that the WHO was "presumptuous" in blaming the syrups. But the health body said it was only following its mandate.

"WHO's mandate is to issue global alerts about potential risks. WHO stands by the action taken," an official told the BBC over email.
The health body added that the "contaminated syrups are dangerous and should not be in any medicine, ever".

In late July, medical authorities in The Gambia detected an increase in cases of acute kidney injury among children under the age of five. The government later said around 69 children had died from these injuries.

In October, the WHO said these deaths may be linked to the four cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals, an Indian company. ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-63996180

Court case in Indonesia.

Parents whose children died or were injured by tainted cough syrup have wept with relief after an Indonesian court allowed a class action lawsuit.

"My child's struggle was not in vain," said Nur Asiah, whose four-year-old daughter died last year. Her family and the relatives of 24 other victims have brought the case against Indonesia's government and eight pharmaceutical companies. More than 200 Indonesian children have died of acute kidney injury since 2022.

Indonesia is not the only country hit by contaminated cough syrup. About 100 deaths have been reported in The Gambia and Uzbekistan. An investigation is continuing in Indonesia, but local authorities say so far no evidence shows links with cases in other countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued warnings about six cough syrups made in India and Indonesia.

"I didn't know what I gave to my child was poison," Nur Asiah told the BBC Indonesia ahead of the court's decision. Her daughter Nasya was prescribed cough syrup after developing a fever last year. She became very sick after consuming the medicine and died three weeks in the hospital later.

The lawsuit seeks compensation of $195,000 for every child killed and about $130,000 for every child injured. Other parents will be allowed to join the lawsuit, their attorney said. ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65011978

 

[uair01]

Seven British patients who travelled to Turkey for weight loss surgery died after operations there, a BBC investigation into the trend has found.
Others have returned home with serious health issues after having had gastric sleeve operations, during which more than 70% of the stomach is removed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64515557

 

[maximus otter]

Phony doctor treated thousands of patients over years, some of them for cancer, prosecutors say​

A California man charged with impersonating a doctor is accused of having treated thousands of patients over years, some of them for cancer, prosecutors said.

Stephan Gevorkian, 44, of Studio City, faces five felony counts of practicing medicine without certification, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said Monday.

Gevorkian owns and operates Pathways Medical in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, prosecutors said. The business performs blood tests, advises patients about treatments and offers treatments for cancer, viral infections and other conditions, prosecutors said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...tients-years-cancer-prosecutors-say-rcna81348

maximus otter

 

[Mythopoeika]

Phony doctor treated thousands of patients over years, some of them for cancer, prosecutors say​

A California man charged with impersonating a doctor is accused of having treated thousands of patients over years, some of them for cancer, prosecutors said.

Stephan Gevorkian, 44, of Studio City, faces five felony counts of practicing medicine without certification, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said Monday.

Gevorkian owns and operates Pathways Medical in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, prosecutors said. The business performs blood tests, advises patients about treatments and offers treatments for cancer, viral infections and other conditions, prosecutors said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...tients-years-cancer-prosecutors-say-rcna81348

maximus otter

Any relation to Dr Kevorkian (AKA Dr Death)?

 

[escargot]

Seven British patients who travelled to Turkey for weight loss surgery died after operations there, a BBC investigation into the trend has found.
Others have returned home with serious health issues after having had gastric sleeve operations, during which more than 70% of the stomach is removed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64515557

We saw the BBC documentary about this. Grim.

 

[uair01]

I find the punishment too harsh!

German surgeon calls in cleaning lady for toe amputation

A German doctor has requested the assistance of a cleaning lady during an operation at the university hospital in Mainz. That already happened in 2020, but the story has only now come out.

The hospital has expressed regret. The patient, whose toe was amputated, is said to have suffered no complications from the operation.

The patient would have become restless during the operation, so the surgeon decided to ask a cleaner to hold the patient's legs. Also, the doctor asked her to indicate surgical instruments. According to the local newspaper Mainzer Allgemeine Zeitung, the woman had no medical experience.

The doctor was fired almost immediately after the incident. A manager at the hospital found out when he saw the cleaning lady with bloody gauze bandages in the operating room.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2475728-duitse-chirurg-roept-hulp-schoonmaakster-in-bij-teenamputatie