Legal Nurse Podcast

Legal Nurse Podcast


461 Peritonitis – abdominal catastrophe – Stephen Cohen

August 30, 2021

Dr. Stephen Cohen, a highly respected and experienced specialist in the GI tract, has visited this podcast a number of times. Today, he shares his perspectives on medical-legal issues connected with diverticulosis and other medical issues.

He emphasizes that because of the length of the intestinal system and complexity of colorectal surgery, a certain percentage of complications resulting from surgery are expected. He estimates this at about eight percent. For the most part these are not medical liability issues.

Liability, he says, does arise in diverticulitis cases. He cites in detail the example of a 26-year-old man who received surgical intervention when it wasn’t indicated according to the standard of care. Intervention created the need for more interventions. As a result of the initial poor decision, a young man ended up with a colostomy bag for the rest of his life.

Cohen also says that delay in diagnosis and treatment can cause a worsening condition that can end up as a medical liability issue. Often the doctors responsible for these failures are the partners of the operating surgeon and aren’t familiar with the patient. Also commonly, too often younger and less experienced doctors are afraid to make the correct decision. This emphasizes the crucial importance of training young doctors in appropriate decision making.

Dr. Cohen is a true teacher, and you will get a thorough lesson in this important area of medicine. Join me as I talk with Dr. Cohen in this episode of Legal Nurse Podcast.

https://youtu.be/fucZBiaULP8

Join me in this episode of Legal Nurse Podcast to learn about Peritonitis

* What are the stages of diverticulitis? * What is the most effective test to gauge degrees of diverticulitis? * How has the accepted standard of care for diverticulitis changed over the decades? * Why are complications sometimes inevitable in bowel surgery? * What is the biggest medical liability issue in this field of medicine?

Related Product Nursing Malpractice Volume 1 and 2

The attorney called you about a nursing malpractice case. You have no firsthand experience in that clinical area, and need to know enough to give the attorney proper guidance.

Where do you turn?

The fourth edition of Nursing Malpractice brings you a wealth of information and resources for your case. This extensively revised and updated edition of covers the spectrum of the nursing process—from patient injury to lawsuit.

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I edited this text, along with my coeditors Barbara Levin, Kathleen Ashton, and Victoria Powell. Lawyers and Judges Publishing Company is the publisher.

These texts are  an outstanding reference for the attorney, legal nurse consultant, insurance claim adjuster, healthcare risk manager, or healthcare facility leader involved in a nursing liability claim.

Your Presenter

Dr. Cohen is an innovator, pioneer and pacesetter of emerging, developing, and innovative colorectal techniques. He is active in teaching, educating and collaborating with physicians both domestically and internationally in which his passion is advocating for advances in colorectal diagnosis and treatment, promoting quality access and maintaining affordability in the current healthcare d...