Before receiving medical treatment, patients must give their informed consent to the healthcare providers that will perform the treatment. Except for a few exceptions, medical professionals legally cannot perform procedures on individuals without first gaining their permission.
The concept of informed consent is a two-part process. The first part requires the medical provider to inform the patient. This means telling the patient what procedure will be done, how it will be performed, the estimated recovery time, alternative treatments, and possible side effects. Patients may also ask any questions about the recommended treatment and any alternatives.
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Although medical misdiagnosis is one of the most common forms of medical malpractice, the vast majority of instances of misdiagnosis of an ailment by a doctor go uncontested. Because it is necessary in a medical malpractice case to prove that the negligence of the doctor led to serious injury or death, if the misdiagnosis did not cause any substantial injury there is no way to win a lawsuit. But there are certain diseases and disorders which are very virulent and fast moving for which misdiagnosis can prove to be deadly for the patient. One of these disorders is appendicitis.
The main reason doctors misdiagnose appendicitis is because the symptoms of the disease mimic symptoms of a variety of different disorders. Symptoms of appendicitis include:
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While many would not think that hospitals can be particularly unhygienic places, a poorly-run hospital can be responsible for any number of food-borne illnesses. The usual complaints about hospital food are that they are not necessarily tasty and that there aren’t many options. However, this does not mean that all hospitals run clean kitchens and cook their food properly. Bacteria such as Salmonella and E. Coli can affect any kitchen, regardless of its location, if the person preparing the food is not careful.
Most bacteria found in food that leads to food poisoning are the result of improper preparation. While one would think that a hospital, of all places, would be especially mindful of this threat, the individuals responsible for preparing meals are not doctors themselves. Instead, chiefs and cooks run the kitchen, like anywhere else, and can make the same mistakes that commercial cooks can make. If preparing poultry products, meat and eggs both need to be cooked at a high enough temperature for a long enough time to kill most bacteria. The same can be said for beef and pork products.
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