Maurice Blackburn

Children

• Brain damage following cardiac surgery
• Failure to diagnose and treat lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)
• Failure to diagnose infantile spasms (West's Sydrome)
• Failure to diagnose pyridoxine deficiency
• Improper repair of congenital duodenal atresia
• Lumbar puncture causing 'coning'
• Tonsillectomy complications causing death

Cosmetic surgery

• Blepharoplasty
• Breast reduction
• Breast augmentation
• Brow lift
• Chemical peel
• Gender reassignment surgery
• Laser treatment
• Liposuction
• Rhinoplasty
• Tattoo removal

Dental

• Dental implants
• Failure to provide antibiotic cover leading to endocarditis
• Failure to remove silastic jaw implant when known to be dangerous
• Fracture of jaw during canine tooth extraction
• Improper analysis of radiographs
• Nerve damage caused by extraction of wisdom teeth
• Oral surgery causing carotid artery dissection and stroke
• TMJ damage

Drugs & drug reactions

• Addiction to barbiturates (improper prescribing)
• Addiction to heroin (for pain relief)
• Aminophylline overdose
• Birth defects caused by Dilantin treatment during pregnancy
• Cerebral haemorrhage from anti-clotting drug Metalyse
• Fibromyalgia caused by drug reaction
• Improper monitoring of ventolin treatment
• Myopathy secondary to Zocor treatment for cholesterol
• Ototoxicity causing hearing loss caused by Cisplatin (chemotherapy)
• Retroperitoneal fibrosis secondary to Deseril treatment for migraine
• Scarring secondary to Roaccutane treatment for acne

Failure to diagnose

• Brain tumours including:
  • Pituitary adenoma
  • Glioma
  • Acoustic neuroma
  • Medulloblastoma
• Bladder cancer
• Breast cancer
• Carcinoma of submandibular gland
• Carcinoma of the thyroid
• Cerebral haemorrhage
• Testicular cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Uterine cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Chronic myeloid leukaemia
• Glomerulonephritis
• Heart attack
• Lung cancer
• Meningitis
• Ovarian cancer
• Pseudoaneurysm
• Pyridoxine deficiency
• Sarcoma
• Stroke
• Aneurysm
• Testicular torsion
• Cauda equina injuries

General surgery

• Acute peritonitis following ova retrieval procedure
• Bladder damage during cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal)
• Breach of infection control guidelines
• Broken pacemaker lead
• Damage to hepatic vein during abdominal surgery
• Faecal incontinence due to haemorrhoid treatment (anal stretch)
• Faecal incontinence due to lateral internal sphincterectomy
• Failed vasectomy
• Failure to sterilise surgical equipment (hepatic duct, septicaemia, ureteric damage)
• Improperly performed stomach stapling surgery
• Improperly performed varicose vein surgery
• Inappropriate multiple surgery on temporo-mandibular jaw joint
• Laparoscopic injuries (puncture of bowel, dissection of artery, perforations)
• Mismanagement of hernia repair
• Nerve damage following head and neck surgery
• Post-operative infection
• Severing of axillary artery during surgery for removal of axillary lipoma
• Unnecessary anterior bowel resection

Gynaecology

• Endometrial ablation
• Failed sterilisation
• Failure to diagnose pregnancy
• Failure to properly treat sexually transmitted diseases
• Failure to properly implant contraceptive device
• Failure to recommend termination of pregnancy
• Hysterectomy secondary to misdiagnosis of abdominal pain
• Improper delivery of placenta causing uterine inversion and need for hysterectomy
• Improper episiotomy
• Improper IVF management
• Inappropriate vaginal hysterectomy
• Incontinence secondary to vaginal hysterectomy
• Incorrect management with Implanon
• Infertility due to pelvic inflammatory disease
• Placental abruption

Misdiagnosis

• Failure to monitor warfarin levels leading to stroke
• Failure to properly investigate thyroid pain and swelling
• Failure to diagnose and treat osteomyelitis
• Misreported radiology
• Misreported mammography
• Failure to treat heart attack
• Failure to monitor the effects of epidural leading to paraplegia
• Failure to diagnose breast cancer
• Incorrect diagnosis of HIV
• Misdiagnosis of transient ischaemia and subsequent stroke
• Misdiagnosis of metastatic meningitis leading to failure to treat ischaemia leading to stroke

Obstetrics

• Birth asphyxia causing cerebral palsy
• Birth asphyxia causing neonatal death
• Failure to advise of elective Caesarean delivery with anticipated obstructed labour
• Failure to detect foetal abnormalities on ultrasound
• Failure to induce delivery causing brain damage and death
• Failure to diagnose, monitor and manage pre-eclampsia
• Failure to properly test for genetic abnormalities
• Failure to perform emergency Caesarean delivery
• Failure to detect unstable foetal position
• Failure to diagnose maternal Strep B infection causing death of baby
• Forceps delivery causing skull fracture
• Forceps delivery causing cervical cord damage and death of baby
• Improper CTG monitoring
• Improper ventouse vacuum extraction
• Improper resuscitation
• Improper ventilation at birth
• Improper monitoring of foetal kicking behaviour
• Improper management of trial of labour
• Inappropriate administration of Mesoprostol
• Inappropriate administration of Syntocinon
• Inappropriately prolonged second stage of labour
• Inappropriately prolonged pregnancy
• Meconium aspiration syndrome
• Mismanagement of obstructed labour
• Mismanagement of pneumothorax
• Mismanagement of breech presentation
• Premature labour due to mismanagement of urinary tract infection
• Rubella in utero leading to brain damage
• Shoulder dystocia leading to Erb's palsy
• Shoulder dystocia causing brain damage and death of baby

Orthopaedics

• Cauda equina syndrome
• Compartment syndrome
• Disc herniation (failure to treat in time)
• Failed back syndrome
• Failure to diagnose and treat fracture to growth plate
• Failure to diagnose scaphoid fracture
• Failure to properly treat complications following knee surgery
• Neurological and vascular injuries following knee surgery
• Poorly set Colles fracture of wrist leading to permanent disability
• Sciatic nerve palsy during hip replacement operation
• Ulnar fracture improperly set using ulnar nail
• Unnecessary arthroscopy
• Unnecessary meniscectomy
• Unnecessary arthroscopy

Other cases

• 'Deep sleep' therapy
• Angiogram leading to stroke
• Brain damage secondary to radiation treatment for squamous cell carcinoma
• Chiropractic treatment causing spinal nerve root damage
• Chiropractic treatment causing brain damage
• Chronic fatigue syndrome (various issues)
• Duty of care of receptionist at general practice
• Failure to diagnose seizures following anaesthetic
• Failure to advise of risk of HIV (duty to patient's sexual partner)
• Failure to warn of material risks of various medical procedures
• Failure to properly replace voice prosthesis
• Failure to counsel re-termination of pregnancy
• Failure to properly treat wound haematoma following appendicectomy
• Failure to diagnose and treat hyponatraemia
• Failure to recognise transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) leading to stroke
• Failure to warn of risks associated with urinary tract surgery
• Foreign body/suture left in wound following appendectomy
• Improper administration of iron injection
• Improper anti-coagulant treatment
• Improper supervision of psychiatric patient