A medical error is the misstep of a doctor or a hospital to ensure the care required by the patient for a medical procedure and it results in injury. It’s a breach of their duty to give competent care. How prevalent are they? Well, there is no reliable nationwide study that could provide reliable data on this. Only estimations have been made up to this point.
The Journal of Patient Safety published in 2013 said that about 200 to 400 thousand patients died from medical errors and 2 to 4 million suffered serious consequences. The numbers mentioned are considered ballpark figures. There is, however, a determined classification of seven common medical errors that can lead to medical malpractice. Victims of such mistakes can make a claim for restitution for them.
- Misdiagnosis
A competent diagnosis is essential for the patient’s recovery. A physician utilizes it to create an effective plan for treating the person under his care. An inaccurate diagnosis or the absence of analysis can lead to the worsening of a patient’s condition or, worse, the person’s death.
- Prescription or Medication Errors
A medical professional may be responsible for this when the wrong medicine is prescribed or an incorrect dosage is administered. There have been cases of confusion when a nurse gave the medicine for one patient to another. Incidents of faulty equipment dispensing an improper dose have been known to happen.
- Surgical and Anesthesia Errors
A mistake in surgery can happen to the most experienced surgeons. The most common cause is doctors who are overworked and can no longer give 100% focus on what they’re doing. The most bizarre, that has happened, is operating on the wrong part of the body and leaving a foreign object inside the patient.
Anesthesia which is part-and-parcel of an operation and is key to the well-being of the person on the operating table cannot be taken for granted. Not enough of it can wake the patient up during surgery but can’t tell the doctor about being conscious. Too much anesthesia, on the other hand, can lead to severe problems or death.
- Childbirth Errors
Medical specialists in the childbirth process, like gynecologists and obstetricians, can harm the mother and/or the child if the professional standard of care is not met. Failing to diagnose a medical condition or birth defect can lead to complications in the delivery. The outcome on the baby may possibly be developmental disorders, fractures, or nerve damage, among others.
Who Are You Gonna Call?
When you feel that you’ve been a victim of an error in the procedures that were just mentioned or if you think you were a recipient of substandard care by your doctor or the hospital, it would be wise to consult someone who can look into your case and tell you where you didn’t get the attention you needed.
There is such a thing as a medical malpractice attorney who can look if your case of added harm is due to negligence or if a loved one’s not making it is a case of wrongful death. A medical malpractice lawyer is what you need to help you in these matters.
If you feel you’ve been given less than what you deserve as a patient, call Richard Hackerman at 410-243-8800. You can also browse through our website for more information.
