Houston Medical Malpractice Law Blog

Even the deadliest medical conditions can initially present as minor problems. Yet, it is in these early stages that these diseases need to be caught to be effectively treated. This means that Texas medical professionals need to be diligent in their diagnosing of patients, ensuring that they accurately order and read all appropriate tests. It is when mistakes in these areas are made that serious medical malpractice can occur. Far too often victims of these circumstances are seriously injured and left to pick up the physical, emotional and financial pieces of their lives.

One man may be in that position now after his leg was amputated due to what may have been medical malpractice. According to a lawsuit that the man filed against the doctor who treated him, the man presented to an urgent care for treatment of what appeared to be a small wound on his foot. The doctor prescribed him oral antibiotics to treat what she thought was a common infection and sent him home.

Advances in medical research and technology have allowed patients to obtain treatment that was once only imaginable. Although many of these methods are successful, a recent film shines a light on problematic medical devices that can leave unsuspecting Texans with serious harm.

The documentary, entitled, "The Bleeding Edge," explores medical devices, the regulations imposed on them, and, ultimately, the dangers they pose. Amongst those devices examined was a permanent form of birth control that allegedly fuses with surrounding tissue and organs, thereby creating scar tissue that renders women infertile. Some of those women affected by the product claim that the device, which is a coil shape, came loose and caused bleeding and, at least in some instances, the need for a hysterectomy. This is only one of the many medical devices examined in the film, which also include hip replacements and robotic surgery devices.

One of the things our country prides itself on is its advances in medical research and technologies, which allow Texans to receive quick and effective medical care. In some circumstances, though, medical professionals fail to live up to this vision. Sometimes they have even considered some lapses in medical care to those seen in third-world countries.

For example, a recent study conducted by USA Today found that more than 50,000 mothers were subjected to serious injuries during birth, while approximately 700 died. More terrifying is the fact that the investigation deemed more than half of these injuries and deaths preventable. This makes the U.S. the most dangerous place to give birth in any developed country. The two biggest threats to mothers is hypertension and hemorrhaging.

Heart attacks are amongst the most deadly medical conditions that can unexpectedly threaten an individual's life. The good news is that if a heart attack is caught quickly enough, medical treatment may be able to stop it, thereby halting any additional damage caused to the heart. This, in turn, can result in an individual's life being saved. However, for heart attacks to be detected, certain tests must be conducted and accurately interpreted.

Fortunately, for Texas residents, a new heart attack test may be made more widely available that allows doctors to detect the medical condition much more quickly. The blood test, detects a certain protein that is released into the blood stream by a heart when it is damaged, such as when it is subjected to a heart attack. If doctors do not detect the protein during the test, then a heart attack can be ruled out.