Five things to know about sepsis

1 in 3 people who die in a hospital have Sepsis

Sepsis kills more than 250,000 Americans a year. One-third of patients who die in hospitals are septic. Yet, even as hospitals work to find processes to catch the complications early, the general public has little understanding of what sepsis is -- and why it can so quickly turn deadly. 

N.J.'s top court delivers 'huge victory' for patients who sue hospitals and doctors

Hospitals and doctors must share the facts of their treatment with patients who are suing for medical malpractice and cannot hide behind a landmark state law that permits a confidential examination of why mistakes occurred, according to the state's highest court.

The state Supreme Court ruling Wednesday clarifies the intent of the Patient Safety Act, a 2004 law that encouraged medical professionals to have frank discussions about "adverse events," with the goal of preventing future errors. Those discussions and any written analysis from them are still private, according to the decision.

10 Things Your Doctor Should Tell You But Won't

Most people depend on their doctor(s) when it comes to the most important decisions they make about their health.  For many things, doctors are indeed a good source of information, considering how intense their education and training in the health sciences is. 

Fluoride in the water is 'compulsory mass medication and a breach of human rights'

Fluoride in the water is 'compulsory mass medication and a breach of human rights' 

The American people are victims of chemical warfare. The fact that they are unaware of it does not change the truth.

If you are persuaded to take a chemical into your body under false pretenses, you are nevertheless a victim of chemical warfare as surely as if someone had set off a chemical bomb in your neighborhood. This is essentially the case when chemicals are applied to you surreptitiously under the guise of "public health."

Sepsis: A medical emergency

Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, amputations, and death. When there is an infection, sepsis can occur.

Sepsis symptoms start off very subtly and may mimic a flu or virus. It’s important to look for the warning signs of sepsis. Spotting these symptoms early could prevent the body from entering septic shock, and could save a life.

Symptoms include:

• S – Shiver, fever, or very cold

• E – Extreme pain or general discomfort (“worst ever”)

• P – Pale or discolored skin

• S – Sleepy, difficult to rouse, confused

• I – “I feel like I might die”

• S – Short of breath

Assisted Suicide: Human Right or Homicide?

Assisted Suicide: Human Right or Homicide?

NEW YORK: Death is an inevitable outcome for everyone. How one dies is a legitimate matter of concern for individuals and families, one that governments and courts should address rather than avoid. Physician-assisted suicide represents a fraction of all types of suicide, which together account for approximately 1.4 percent of annual deaths worldwide. Despite low incidence, the action to voluntarily end one’s life poses a dilemma – is assisted suicide a human right to be permitted or a homicide to be prohibited?

Can Physicians Learn Empathy? At St. Joseph's Hospital in Nashua, I highly doubt it!

Can Physicians Learn Empathy?

At St. Joseph's Hospital in Nashua, I highly doubt it!

We want competent physicians, but we also want compassionate ones. How do we get them? Is it nature or is it nurture? Is it more important to search out more compassionate students, or should we instill compassion somehow in the ones we start along the training pipeline? I think the answer lies in nurturing what nature has already put there.