patient news stories on Newser

Woman's Face Erupts in Flames During Surgery

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:30:00 CST

A Florida woman was airlifted to a burn center after her face erupted in flames during surgery. The 29-year-old mom of three was having cysts removed from her head when the accident occurred. Firefighters were called, but the flash fire was out by the time they arrived. It's not clear...

Senate Finally Confirms Surgeon General

Nick McMaster — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:59:41 CDT

The Senate unanimously confirmed Regina Benjamin as US surgeon general yesterday after Republicans ended a procedural delay that had dragged on for several weeks. Mitch McConnell and seven other GOP senators said they stalled because of an administration “gag order” that prevented insurers from giving their opinions on the effects...

Medical Pot Use Legal, Confusing in Michigan

Wesley Oliver — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:15:44 CDT

Medical use of marijuana is about to become fully legal in Michigan, but loopholes and inconsistencies in the law could keep reefer madness underground, the Chicago Tribune reports. Voters approved the decriminalization measure last fall, and next month, patients will be able to request authorization from doctors. Legislatures in Illinois,...

Face Transplant Patient Leaves Cleveland Hospital

Nick McMaster — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:02:01 CST

The subject of the first face transplant performed in America was released from the hospital yesterday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The patient left after 2 months of recovery from the experimental, 23-hour procedure. She enjoys being able to once again drink from a cup and taste a hamburger, the...

Patients Could Polish Their Bedside Manner, Docs Say

Kevin Spak — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:20:00 CDT

Odds are you're annoying your doctor, according to a Canadian study that asked nearly 300 physicians about their daily frustrations. As the Globe and Mail reports, many had difficulty establishing rapports with patients, who routinely resisted or flouted their advice —which can lead to patient safety problems. “When you have...

Patients Paying $1B in Medical Bills They Don't Owe

Wesley Oliver — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:37:01 CDT

Millions of patients throughout the country are footing the bill for medical payments they don’t owe, BusinessWeek reports. In a practice known as balance billing, health-care providers stick weary patients with the cost of their treatment not covered by insurers. The practice is often illegal, but, according to estimates, consumers...

Cancer Patients Bare All in Blogs

Harry Kimball — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:16:02 CDT

Cancer patients, once reticent, are increasingly explicit in sharing the details of their ordeals in blogs—and finding it therapeutic. Researchers at Ohio State looked at 50 blogs and found they helped patients cope, the Boston Globe reports. Not only do they make it easier to keep friends and family...

NC Hospital Faces Heat After Man Ignored 22 Hours Dies

Kevin Spak — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:00:00 CDT

Federal authorities are threatening to cut funding for a North Carolina hospital where a psychiatric patient died after being ignored for 22 hours, the AP reports. It’s still not clear what killed the 50-year-old, who at one point choked on medication, but surveillance video shows him sitting unattended while staff...

Family Wants $25M Over Hospital Death

Kevin Spak — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:03:23 CDT

The family of the woman who died on the waiting-room floor in a Brooklyn hospital plans to sue for $25 million, CNN reports. Esmin Green’s relatives are also pushing for criminal charges against the hospital staff, who they say ignored her and falsified records to say she was up and...