Medical Malpractice

Failure to Monitor Patients Whose Use of Prescription Drugs Place Them at Risk for Priapism
Failure to Warn Patients of Medication Side Effects

Pharamcist Malpractice

Failure to Diagnose or Delayed Treatment Priapism
Drug Product Liability

Priapism is the term used to describe a constant, usually painful, erection of the penis. It is not associated with sexual desire.  It is a true urologic emergency that may lead to permanent injury, including permanent erectile dysfunction or permanent impotence, if not timely and properly treated.

Priapism has been associated with a number of medical conditions and prescription drugs. Generally, however, when a patient has been prescribed a prescription drug which indicates priapism is a side effect, the physician, pharmacist, and drug company should properly and fully disclose that risk, as well as directly warn the patient of such a condition and what to do if priapism is suspected.

Priapism is an emergency medical condition which needs to be diagnosed and treated immediately. Failure to diagnose priapism or delay in proper treatment of priapism can lead to permanent impotence as well as life-threatening injury.

Additionally, doctors who prescribe medications with a known risk for priapism have an obligation to propery warn their patients of this risk, as well as monitor their patients to prevent priapism.

Medications Can Cause Priapism

Several prescription drugs have been linked to priapism, including, but not limited to, the following:

• psychiatric medications
• • chlorpromazine
  • trazodone
  • quetiapine
  • thioridazine
  • citalopram
  • selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
• erectile dysfunction drugs
• • ED medications
• athletic performance enhancers
• • hydralazine
  • metoclopramide
  • omeprazole
  • hydroxyzine
  • prazosin
  • tamoxifen
  • androstenedione
• anticoagulant drug
• • heparin
  • warfarin 

Emergency Treatment

Immediate examintion and treatment by a urologist is recommended, especially when less-invasive measures in the Emeregency Room fail to resolve priapism.  Immediate treatment prior to arrival at the hospital may include the use of ice packs applied to the penis and surrounding areas.

In some instances, surgical placement of a shunt may be required.

A major complication of priapism is long-term impotence.

Medical Malpractice • Product Liability • Pharmacist Malpractice

Failure to Monitor Patients on Prescription Drugs at Risk for Priapism
Failure to Warn Patients of Medication Side Effects

Failure to Diagnose or Delayed Treatment Priapism

Emergency treatment for an erection lasting greater than 4 hours should be sought as soon as possible.  A doctor's failure to warn his or her patient of the risk of priapism, what to do if priapism is suspected, as well as the long-term impotence resulting from priapism (as a side effect of a drug, for example) may constitute medical malpractice.

Unfortunately, in an emergency room setting, hospital staff, such as nurses, and emergency room physicians, may not properly diagnose and treat the condition.  Bcause such a short window exists, delay in proper diagnosis and treatment may lead to permanent injury.

Additionally, a product liability claim may exist against the drug manufacturer when priapism is a side effect of a drug without proper warnings or disclosure.  Simiilar, a pharamcy or pharamcist may held liable for failure to warn of the side effect of priapism caused by certain medications.

Because every case depends on the circumstances presented, we will have to review the facts of your claim to determine if your permanent injury caused by priapism is grounds for a claim of medical malpractice, pharmacist malpractice, or drug liability.

If you have been the victim of malpractice because of:

• your prescribing physician's failure to warn about the risk of priapism as a side effect of the medications he or she prescribed for your use
• prescribing doctor's failure to monitor the patient
• failure to diagnose priapism
• failure to timely treat priapism
• pharmacist's failure to warn of drug side effects
• drug company's failure to warn of drug side effects
• drug company's failure to disclose risks of priapism associated with its drug

and suffered permanent injury, then contact our office for an immediate, confidential, consultation.