Shoulder dystocia management blamed for brachial plexus injury and brain damage
October 1st 2010A New York woman delivered her child in 2003 with a shoulder dystocia. After delivery, the infant was diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury and subsequently was found to have brain damage, with delays in speech and swallowing. In her lawsuit, the woman claimed that the 8 or 9 minutes that it took to relieve the dystocia resulted in asphyxiation of the infant.
Uterine artery embolization may be an alternative to hysterectomy
October 1st 2010According to the findings of the 5-year, randomized, controlled, multicenter embolization versus hysterectomy (EMMY) trial, uterine artery embolization may be an alternative to hysterectomy for some women with symptomatic uterine fibroids.
Preventing and recognizing urinary tract injuries in pelvic surgery
October 1st 2010Urinary tract injuries complicate approximately 1% of all gynecologic procedures, with a ratio of 5 bladder injuries to each ureteral injury. Additionally, urinary tract injuries occur in 0.28% of all cesarean deliveries with a 3-fold risk in repeat cesarean delivery.
Smoking worsens outcomes related to preeclampsia
October 1st 2010Although cigarette smoking decreases slightly the risk for developing preeclampsia, a new study by Canadian researchers suggests that smokers who do develop the condition are at higher risk for the complications associated with the disorder.
Implementing checklists may require a culture change in operating room
October 1st 2010After my colleagues and I implemented a highly successful obstetric safety program at Yale New Haven Hospital to reduce adverse outcomes, we naively thought we could easily duplicate our safety efforts in the operating room for gynecologic surgeries by implementing a checklist such as one we had read about in an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Reversible contraception: Does it affect future fertility?
September 1st 2010Contraceptive counseling is a frequent and essential component of clinical care delivered by ob/gyns. It is critical for an ob/gyn to not only counsel women on the efficacy of various contraceptive methods but also to discuss the return to fertility after cessation of those contraceptives.
Conflicting testimony, poor documentation sink high-risk delivery defense
September 1st 2010A plaintiff in one case alleged that the defendants were negligent by failing to monitor fetal growth and appropriately estimate fetal weight and position; failing to perform a caesarean delivery and prevent birth trauma during labor and delivery; failing to recognize the signs and symptoms of fetal distress; and negligently using oxytocin in the presence of fetal distress.
TMP-SMX linked to increased risk of hyperkalemia in the elderly
September 1st 2010Older adults simultaneously taking beta blockers and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, widely prescribed for urinary tract infections, appeared to be more at risk for hyperkalemia requiring hospitalization than cohorts taking beta blockers and amoxicillin.
New obesity pill effective; safety issues under review
September 1st 2010The first potential new prescription weight-loss pill to reach the US market in more than a decade is effective and well tolerated, according to a manufacturer's new drug application, but potential safety issues have stalled its approval by the FDA.
Lawsuit seeks to block Red Flags Rule for doctors
August 1st 2010The American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, and the Medical Society for the District of Columbia have filed suit against the FTC in an attempt to exclude physicians from its Red Flags Rule, which requires financial institutions and other creditors to develop and implement a written plan for spotting warning signs of identity theft.