A hospital in Missouri has admitted that, due to a radiation machine that was programmed incorrectly, 76 patients were given a 50 percent overdose of radiation.

According to hospital officials, the machine was programmed incorrectly after it was installed in 2004. Since then, every patient that has used the machine has been exposed to 50 percent more radiation than needed.

The error was finally discovered when a new technician was being trained to use the machine in September 2009. The hospital is no longer using the device and a full investigation is underway.

Stereographic radiation machines are used to treat small brain tumors and usually only one treatment is necessary.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, contact the Springfield medical malpractice lawyers of Strong-Garner-Bauer by calling 417-887-4300.

New research shows that there is a link between interruptions during medical procedures and a higher rate of clinical errors and procedural failures.

The study’s lead author  said that the more interruptions that a nurse receives while administering drugs to a patient, the greater risk that an error will occur. The team who did the study, observed 98 nurses in hospitals administer 4,271 medications and found that an interruption occurred in 53 percent of them.

Of the procedures that were interrupted, 74 percent of them had at least one procedural failure and 25 percent had a clinical error. Authors of the study noted that some interruptions are necessary such as monitoring alarms, only 11 percent of the studied interruptions were needed.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical negligence, contact the Springfield medical malpractice lawyers of Strong-Garner-Bauer by calling 417-887-4300.