Illnesses and injuries are stressful. Often the treatment and recovery phases are long and come with many limitations. When surgery is part of your treatment, it can make the process feel even more stressful. You may feel overwhelmed with questions, or you may not...
The process of getting ready for surgery requires a lot of extra effort from a patient. They may need to abstain from food and even drinks for hours before the procedure. Some people may require testing, and most everyone undergoing general anesthesia and significant...
The Chicago area has some of the finest hospitals in the country, and a recent study from a Washington-based nonprofit supports that claim. In our region, most patients can rely on the medical care and services they receive. Even though patients and their families...
While many people equate medical malpractice with egregious errors such as surgical mistakes and missed diagnoses, the negligence can often be traced to numerous unexpected sources. What many patients consider a simple process can become a dangerous hazard. In these...
When you go into the hospital for treatment or an operation, you want to be sure that the doctors and nurses are correctly assessing your condition, accurately diagnosing you and providing proper treatment. But many hospital patients would be truly alarmed if they...
There are many health conditions that are misdiagnosed. Unfortunately, depending on the misdiagnosis, a patient could suffer serious consequences or even death as a result.As a patient, it's important to seek second opinions and to find out if your test results or...
You needed to go through general anesthesia because of the significant surgery that had been planned for you. You trusted that the anesthesiologist would do what was right for you and give you the medications needed to keep you stable.What you never could have...
Hospital safety ratings can matter. Being able to know how well your medical providers are performing can be important when making healthcare choices. If you knew a hospital had a D rating, would you go there? Would you risk suffering an injury if you could spend...
The safety record for anesthesia has improved dramatically in recent times.However, if you are facing a procedure that requires anesthesia, it is essential to understand the risks. Decreasing the odds of a bad outcomeIf you have concerns regarding anesthesia, bring...
There's a pivotal scene in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" where the pharmacist, Mr. Gower -- who is insane with grief after learning that his son has died from influenza and who has gotten drunk as a result -- almost poisons a young customer's medicine with...
