On November 19, 2024, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a civil monetary action against a mental health center in California for failing to provide a patient with timely access to her medical records.

A 57-year-old male patient presented to Dr. S, an otolaryngologist, complaining of throat pain. Physical examination revealed swollen, reddening, nontender tonsils.

A mother took her 12-month-old infant daughter, “Olivia,” to a dermatology clinic to assess a spot developing on her scalp that was first seen when she was around 8 months old.

In the realm of medical malpractice cases, those involving a retained foreign object have their own special place in the law.

Appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies in the United States. However, the diagnosis of appendicitis is missed in 3.8%-15.0% of children and 5.9%-23.5% of adults during emergency department (ED) visits.