A new study shows that surgeons who are exhausted are morelikely to say they had recently committed a major error on the job.

The study, conducted by Johns Hopkins University School ofMedicine, is the largest study to date on physician fatigue. Charles M. Balch,M.D., one of the study’s leaders, said of the findings “people have talked aboutfatigue and long working hours, but our results indicate that the dominantcontributors to self-reported medical errors are burnout and depression… All ofus need to take this into account to a greater degree than in the past.Frankly, burnout and depression hadn’t been on everybody’s radar screen.”

Out of the 7,905 surgeons who responded to the study, ninepercent reported having made a major medical mistake in the previous threemonths. Forty percent of the surgeons surveyed described themselves as “burnedout.”

If you or a loved one has been the victim of Pennsylvaniamedical malpractice, please contact a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. by calling 215-329-3511.

Actor James Woods has settled a medical malpractice lawsuitagainst the Rhode Island hospital where his brother died.

The actor filed the wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of hisbrother’s children after their father died on a gurney in the hallway of KentHospital in Rhode Island. Michael Woods went to the hospital on July 26, 2006complaining of a sore throat and vomiting. Dr. Kelli Naylor ordered an EKGwhich returned “abnormal” results. Naylor ordered Woods be placed on a cardiacmonitor, however he was never placed on the monitor and died in the hallway.

The two parties finally reached a financial settlement afterthree years of litigation on Monday night. Woods described the settlement assomething that “both sides are comfortable with.” The settlement includes thecreation of the Michael J. Woods Institute at Kent Hospital.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of Pennsylvania medicalmalpractice, please contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers ofLowenthal & Abrams, P.C. by calling 215-329-3511.

A former Miss Argentina died Sunday from complicationsarising from plastic surgery.

37 year-old Solange Magnano died in a hospital after beingtransferred from a clinic where she underwent an elective surgery on herbuttocks on Wednesday.  Magnano, amother of 8 year-old twins, died of a pulmonary embolism three days after agluteoplasty, a procedure where implants are placed in the buttocks.  Officials say the injected liquid wentinto her lungs and brain.

Magnano won the crown of Miss Argentina in 1994 and remainedpopular throught the country to this day. Magnano’s close friend Roberto Piazzasaid of her death “a woman who had everything lost her life to have a slightlyfirmer behind.”

If you or someone you know has been the victim of medicalmalpractice, please contact a Philadelphia medical malpractice attorney ofLowenthal & Abrams, P.C. by calling 215-329-3511.