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Failure to diagnose: A form of medical malpractice committed on behalf of a medical doctor. Florida failure to diagnose has the potential to cause serious damage and even death to patients who do not receive prompt and adequate medical care as needed because of medical malpractice.

Fen-Phen: Short for fenfluramine phentermine, a drug combination used for weight loss purposes. Fen-Phen has been linked to heart valve disease in numerous cases, prompting the FDA to request that manufacturers recall the drug.

Fetal Distress: What occurs when a baby doesn't receive enough oxygen. The clinical term is hypoxia and could result in damage or death if the fetus is not delivered immediately.

Fetal Heart Rate Monitor: Electronic fetal monitor, or EFM, is used to observe and record the heart rate of a fetus and for keeping track of the frequency, length, and strength of the mother's uterine contractions.

Forceps: Tools used to grip a baby's head and guide it out of the birth canal during delivery.

Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in damage to another, whether to his or her person, rights, property or reputation. Fraud usually consists of a misrepresentation, concealment or non-disclosure of a material fact. Can also be misleading conduct, devices or contrivance.