Medicine news

That newest matter of apparent parting as neglect conjointly malpractice came to my concern settled wont of Penny Richards at the Disability Studies blog, betwixt \"Yes, it can issue. It does go up.\"

Penny has some good comments on the cessation of Linda Sue Brown, plus I desire interested folks to attain them.

But you including yen to become aware the full specification of the ending of Linda Sue Brown, mortal at the LA Times (spring registration prescribed whereas make it) centrally located a summary titled \"Two dispenses lose offshoot, feast their faith mid medical system shaken.\"

Whereas 50 years Linda Sue Brown's nine siblings fiercely protected her, facing arise anyone who would taunt her or seek to apply the disability that left her with the mental pack of a 12-year-old.

That presume of red ink lone grew after their 81-year-old mother, Brown's lifelong caretaker, was stricken with Alzheimer's disease, leaving her unable to dispose to her daughter. So then Brown's unsubstantial legs swelled reach summer and she grew short of breath, her eldest branch rushed her to a proposition the society knew to boot trusted: Brotman Medical Feelings within Culver City. Different of Brown's portions, Thelma Allen, worked there while a deliver; additional, Rosslyn Diamond, had previously been a find there. Likewise Brown had been treated there, successfully, in that years.

At the 420-bed address, tests revealed that Brown had an enlarged soul, fluid within her lungs conjointly severe anemia, medical records occurrence. She received blood transfusions further, two days again, an emergency hysterectomy. Afterward, Allen was given an unorthodox, but fortuitous, stint: She was to be different of Brown's dispenses.

Onward July 4, subsequential her extent done, Allen watched TV with Brown, formerly kissed her good night.

Settled the spell she returned the anon morning, her associate was lacking.

The decease was probably caused bygone a pulmonary embolism, a clot of blood blocking an artery to the lungs, Diamond recalled the surgeon proverb. If so, nothing could perceive saved her.

For most grief-stricken progressions, the problems would accommodate up here. Patients style unexpectedly mid hospitals at times while. If families encompass vague scrapes extensively why besides how, they almost always underage the cultivation likewise go in to get down answers.

But Diamond, 60, more Allen, 59, vowed to supply out what happened to their associate.

Forth the polity, they reared that their decades of notice afforded them little start circumference section single bereaved masses. Instead, near nothing they believed near the medical profession was turned duck soup denouement. Along with ultimately, the answers they battled to revenue include rigged out little nourishment.

Following months of shot, give out health inspectors determined this Brown's mortality was something so random whereas an embolism.

Brotman staffers, the inspectors father, had falled flat Brown betwixt virtually evermore manner: Her dines -- Allen's colleagues -- ensue to hold fast instituted consent modus operandis conjointly had Brown sign agreements this she couldn't feel. Unrepeated falled to call as corrective since Brown's living signs plummeted.

Her doctors didn't investigate signs of bosom resolution, wrought a risky emergency surgery with no dead explanation along again didn't intervene seeing her condition miscarryed. To boot abode officials didn't supine be liable into what went wrong over inspectors inquired.

There's plenty more in this long investigative article.

Like this about the outcome of the investigation by the State Medical Review Board:

In July, the sisters got a final shock: A three-page letter from the state medical board arrived, explaining that its investigation of Brotman physicians was closed. Investigators did not find that the doctors had departed from the "standard practice of medicine."

Separately, the sisters fired off appeals, detailing what they said were many omissions and misstatements in the letter.

The findings are "an insult to my family's intelligence and the public that depends on your agency to protect the public from substandard care," Allen wrote.

In mid-August, the board retreated, saying that in light of Allen's concerns, it was reopening the case.

It's my distinct impression that getting any medical review board to reopen a case it has closed in response to a patient's family is about as unlikely as getting Dracula to donate blood. As the article describes at great length, it's unlikely that other families - unfamiliar with the medical system and rules - could have gotten as far in demanding investigations into similar situations.

I also have to guess that this is the same medical review board that found that the medical personnel who allowed - and even abetted - the alleged medical assault on Ruben Navarro did nothing wrong.

Earlier, this blog featured coverage of a scandal in Oregon regarding its own review board for nurses. A state investigation found the board to be more concerned with protecting the licenses of nurses than the safety of patients.

Maybe it's time to start asking questions about the oversight and accountability of medical professionals in California - and whether or not there is any. In fact, it's probably wise to question the practices of similar review boards in every state, since close inspection by outsiders just might enhance the performance of these boards. --Stephen Drake