Birmingham Personal Injury Lawyer - Wrongful Death

Making Sense of the Medical Record - Medication Administration Abbreviations

Jan Boswell — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:49:50 GMT

Deciphering a medical record can be a real headache, especially handwritten records. Once you break through the handwriting code, you have to deal with the alphabet soup that is medical jargon. Below is some of the abbreviations used in medication administration. I hope this helps you make some sense of the medical records you are looking at. Use this prn.

Doses

cc = cubic centimeter

gm = gram

gr = grain

gtt = drop

mcg = microgram

mEq = milliequivalent

mg = milligram

ml = milliliter

oz = ounce

tsp = teaspoonful

Tbsp = tablespoonful

U = units

Times

ac = before meals

BID = twice a day

pc = after meals

PRN = as needed (commonly written with a time frame and reason the medication is being given. For example q 2-4 h prn for pain meaning every 2-4 hours as needed for pain)

Q = every

QD = every day

QID = four times a day

QOD = every other day

q h = every hour (so q2h would be every two hours)

qhs = every bedtime (sometimes written as just hs)

TID = three times a day

Stat = immediately

Routes of Administration

AD = right ear

AS = left ear

AU = both ears

buc = inside the cheek

IM = intramuscular injection

IV – intravenous

IVPB – intravenous piggyback

OD = right eye

OS = left eye

OU = both eyes

opth. = pertaining to the eye

otic = pertaining to the ear

PO = by mouth (NPO means nothing by mouth)

PER G.T.= through gastrostomy tube

PR = per rectum

SL = sublingual

SQ or sub-Q = subcutaneous (also written as SC)

Supp – suppository

Susp = suspension

TPN – total paternal nutrition

Tab = tablet

Other

c- with

s – without

MAR – medication administration record

OTC – over the counter

Sig- label

EC – enteric coated

DC – discontinue

Per – through or by

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jan Boswell

Alabama the Beautiful - Eh, Maybe Not

Jon Lewis — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:34:45 GMT

When you cross the Alabama State Line, there is a sign which says, "Welcome to Alabama the Beautiful." It is beautiful. We have mountains, trees, lakes, and even a coastline with incredible white sandy beaches. We have the world famous Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail with its eleven courses. However, these beautiful attributes cannot apply to the laws of the state.

Today, I was near the beautiful coastline in Enterprise, Alabama on a fee petition hearing in Coffee County. While there, I was speaking with an attorney from Chicago, Illinois. We were discussing some of Alabama's laws and, particularly, the laws regarding wrongful death claims. You should have seen his face when I told him that the only damages available to the family of a victim of wrongful death are punitive damages, i.e.: to punish the wrongdoer. No damages are allowed to compensate the victim's family. Nothing for lost wages. Nothing for the value of a life. Nothing for the loss of a spouse or parent. This is only in Alabama. No other state has such a rule.

Later today, I spoke to an attorney in Jacksonville, Florida. He was referring an accident case to me which occurred in Alabama. We were discussing the facts of the case, and when I explained to him that Alabama was a pure contributory negligence state, he was in disbelief. What is a pure contributory negligence state? If two parties are in an accident and one is 99% at fault and the other is 1% at fault, neither party may recover damages from the other. Most states are comparative negligence states, and in the example above, the person who was 1% at fault would recover 99% of the verdict.

These are just a couple of the laws which adversely affect victims of accidents, injury and death. There are others. These laws need to be revised to bring Alabama in line with the rest of the country.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jon Lewis

Alabama House Bill to give Road Contractors Immunity

Tedford Taylor — Tue, 01 May 2007 11:52:38 GMT

Members of the Alabama House of Representatives seek to introduce HB 382 which would give total civil immunity to road contractors working on state projects within the specifications of the contract. If passed, this bill would provide that a contractor performing highway, road, or street repairs, construction or maintenance is not liable for damage or injury resulting therefrom despite the existence of negligence or notice of a dangerous condtion.

Last Friday, a Bullock County jury returned a verdict in the amount of $10 million for the Plaintiff, represented by Taylor & Taylor, against APAC, the Defendant road contractor. Attorneys for the Plaintiff proved that APAC created a dangerous "dip" on Highway 110 near Fitzpatrick Aalabama, APAC knew of the dangerous condition from other similar incidents, APAC did not fix the condition, and ultimately caused a wreck whereby Plaintiff's decedant was killed. Attorneys for Plaintiff argued against APAC's position that a dangerous condition did not exist and ultimately proved the condition did exist and was repaired soon after the fatal crash; despite APAC's continued denial throughout the trial of any subsequent repairs.

If HB 382 passes into law, egregious corporate conduct by road contractors will continue unfettered, placing the public at risk on the roadway.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Tedford Taylor

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Alabama Trooper

Christina Cole — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:47:03 GMT

An Alabama State Trooper is due back in court regarding the shooting death of a Shelby County man.

The family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the trooper who shot and killed her son in 2004. A grand jury decided in May 2005, the trooper should not face charges in his death.

The Plaintiff is suing the Trooper and eight other Department of Public Safety employees, seeking a jury trail for the defendants. The lawsuit claims the trooper did not have probable cause to approach the man for committing a crime.

Lindley's truck ran into a ditch on Dec. 17, 2004. Shortly after, Roberts stopped and he and Lindley got into an altercation. Lindley began to run toward the direction of his mother's house when the two began struggling with one another. Robert's statement said Lindley ignored warnings after attacking the trooper. It also claims that Roberts' own statement to investigators shows that he, not Lindley, initiated the three-minute struggle prior to Lindley's shooting.

The other listed defendants are named in the suit for hiring Roberts, whom according to the suit, did not meet Department of Public Safety standards.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Safety Concerns Surround Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch

Christina Cole — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 18:22:34 GMT

Dr. Joel S. Lippman, former vice president at two Johnson & Johnson alleges in a lawsuit that he was fired for seeking recalls on numerous faulty products that include the Ortho Evra birth control patch with at least 1,000 product liability suits.

In Lippman's civil complaint, he alleges he was unlawfully let go on May 15, after 15 years of employment because he repeatedly complained about product safety problems while urging several be recalled or not launched. "He feels wronged," said Lippman's attorney. "He was fired at the peak of his career for doing his job."

The suit filed in N.J. Superior Court in Middlesex County on November 13, seeks lost past and future salary and lost bonuses, pension c contribution amongst other benefits. The suit alleges Lippman's problems with J&J began when he complained about inadequate safety data on a hormonal menopausal product called Ortho-Prefest and about serious health concerns regarding the Ortho Evra patch, "that releases dangerously high amounts of estrogen in patients."

In September, the Food and Drug Administration began requiring J&J to add a warning label to the package insert advising the risk of dangerous blog clots in the legs and lungs might be higher for women on the patch instead of birth-control pills. At this time it is uncertain if Ortho-Prefest was ever sold, but J&J disregarded Lippman's concerns and launched the product and then transferred him.

According to the lawsuit, over the next few years, Lippman complained about safety concerns with five other devices including an applicator used in endoscopic procedures that "oozed chromium during use" and ProCeed a surgical mesh for hernia repair that the FDA ordered the company to recall.

As of October 1st, J&J has reported approximately 1,000 claimants that have filed lawsuits or maid claims alleging Ortho Evra caused injuries.

Some women using Ortho Evra, including women in their 20s, have died of blood clots. Attorneys who specialize in medical product liability suits are seeking more plaintiffs through Internet sites, so more suits are likely.
Attorney Ellen Relkin, who is on committees of plaintiffs lawyers overseeing both federal Ortho Evra lawsuits and those filed in New Jersey, said news of Lippman's lawsuit will have some impact on the number of product liability suits, particularly among women who believe Ortho Evra injured them but hadn't yet sued.
She said documents and testimony from Lippman's case also could come into play in the product liability lawsuits. "We have millions of documents that the lawyers are reviewing that we've received from Johnson & Johnson (in Ortho Evra lawsuits) and we'll take a closer look at anything involving him," Relkin said.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Missing Alabama Teen's Parents File a Wrongful Death Suit

Christina Cole — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 15:08:36 GMT

Parents of Natalee Holloway have filed a wrongful death suit today against two brothers that were suspects in the case at one time.

According to Birmingham News, a civil suit was filed by Beth Twitty and Dave Holloway that claims Deepak and Satish Kalpoe - quote "intentionally, negligently, wantonly" caused fatal injury to their daughter.

The suit was filed in California Superior Court in Los Angeles in conjunction with a case that the Kalpoe brothers filed against the "Dr. Phil Show" that alleges libel and slander.

Holloway was 18 when she disappeared on May 30, 2005 while on a trip to Aruba with fellow graduates of Mountain Brook High School. She was last seen getting into a car with the Kalpoes and their friend, Joran van der Sloot.

Police spent months searching for the missing teen, but the case did not lead to any criminal trial in Aruba.
A similar lawsuit filed by Holloway's family in a New York court against van der Sloot was thrown out by a judge this summer.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Owner is at Fault in Fatal Fire

Christina Cole — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 09:00:40 GMT

A jury has determined that a fire in a Route 9 building that killed five people in February 2000 was fueled in part by unsafe conditions caused by the owner. A wrongful death lawsuit relating to the same fire was settled in October.

The main cause of the deadly fire is still unknown, but lawyers for many displaced business owners convinced the jury that the owner Sidney Kriensky was aware of several code violations that helped contribute to the severity of the fire, Frank Fragomeni stated. Middlesex Superior Court civil trial started on November 6th and ended last month, stated a court clerk.

The jury deliberated approximately 10 hours before finding Kiriensky, owner of G & K LLC, negligent, said Fragomeni.

"There were about eight or nine deficiencies in the building that were allowed to continue over the years," he said. Fragomeni said the code violations were found by inspectors after the Feb. 10, 2000, fire, and included fire doors that were not closed and not fire rated, and a fourth-floor addition that was built over the tar of the existing roof.
The tar, he said, is what allowed the fire to grow out of control. "That building was a disaster waiting to happen," said Fragomeni, who represented the owners of Gamelan Interactive Inc. and Photography by Drew.

A separate jury will decide next year what Kriensky has to pay. It is estimated that damages for loss of business and materials are in the $5 million range.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole