Protecting Patients’ Rights In Ohio And Michigan
Healthcare professionals play a significant role in guiding us through illnesses and diseases. While we often look to them for answers, it’s important to acknowledge that even professionals can make mistakes when providing care leading to medical errors. Malpractices can shatter our faith in the medical system and lead to disability, injury, or even death. These mistakes occur in various healthcare facilities such as hospitals, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, and diagnostics buildings.
The Impact of Medical Errors
Medical errors occur when preventable events during clinical care result in patient injury or death. The National Institute of Health estimates that in the United States alone, medical errors cause the death of approximately 98,000 patients each year. In Ohio, reports indicate over 5,000 residents die yearly due to medical malpractice, while Michigan follows with nearly 6,000 deaths annually.
Negligence of Healthcare Professionals
In most cases of medical malpractice, the negligence of healthcare professionals is usually to blame. These malpractices may include surgical errors, birth injuries, delayed diagnoses, anesthesia issues, and medication mistakes. Many patients also suffer from bedsores, asthma, and infections due to inadequate care. Lack of attention to a patient’s clinical course can have severe consequences. Healthcare professionals often overlook a condition or fail to draw the right conclusions to diagnose a condition or prescribe the right medication.
Surgical Errors
Millions of patients undergo routine surgery every year, but it’s essential to acknowledge that surgical errors can cause serious complications with lifelong consequences. Recent studies estimate that surgical errors occur in approximately 4,000 to 6,000 cases annually in the United States alone.
Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia errors rank among the most common types of surgical errors. Anesthesiologists administer and monitor anesthesia during surgery, with the potential for severe complications, including brain damage, respiratory failure, or even death, arising from miscalculating anesthesia dosage. Moreover, failing to obtain a complete medical history of the patient and adequately prepare them for anesthesia can result in serious complications like adverse drug reactions or allergic reactions.
Surgical Tool Errors
Medical equipment plays a crucial role in surgery. However, improper use can lead to mistakes by the surgical team. For instance, a surgeon may accidentally leave a surgical tool inside a patient after a procedure, resulting in serious infections and other complications. Moreover, surgical tools can malfunction or break during surgery, causing significant damage to surrounding tissue or organs.
Communication Errors
Surgical team members can experience communication errors when they fail to communicate effectively with each other. For instance, a surgeon may misinterpret an anesthesiologist’s instructions, which can lead to errors in anesthesia administration and have catastrophic consequences. Likewise, miscommunication among surgical staff can result in performing the wrong surgical procedure on a patient.
Failure to Monitor Vital Signs
In some cases, surgical errors may be attributed to a failure to monitor a patient’s vital signs during and after surgery. This can lead to severe complications, such as hemorrhaging, cardiac arrest, and organ failure. Moreover, failure to monitor a patient’s vital signs may delay emergency interventions necessary to save a patient’s life.
Birth Injuries
Numerous factors, such as medical malpractice, negligence, improper use of medical equipment, and inadequate monitoring, can lead to childbirth injuries. Some common birth injuries include cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injury, and Erb’s palsy. Cerebral palsy affects muscle movement and control, while brachial plexus injury occurs when the baby’s shoulder gets stuck during delivery. Erb’s palsy is a specific type of brachial plexus injury that affects the baby’s arm and hand. In some cases, medical errors during treatment can result in a brain injury.
Birth injuries often result from medical negligence. Healthcare professionals may fail to properly monitor fetal distress, diagnose and treat complications such as infections or umbilical cord problems, or make mistakes during the delivery process, such as using excessive force or improper delivery techniques. Negligence can also occur before delivery due to improper prenatal care or failure to recognize high-risk pregnancy factors.
Delayed Diagnosis or Misdiagnosis
When it comes to medical diagnoses, accuracy plays a key role. A wrong diagnosis can have devastating consequences for a patient, even causing serious injury or death. While we often think of physicians as the primary diagnosticians, other medical staff members can also be at fault for misdiagnoses. Radiologists, pathologists, diagnostic technicians, and lab technicians are all responsible for ensuring that patients receive the correct diagnosis. Failing to do so can result in untreated diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, infection, and diabetes, leading to irreparable harm. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that patients receive proper diagnoses supported by the appropriate diagnostic tests and follow-up measures to prevent the serious implications of delayed diagnoses or misdiagnoses.
Medication Errors
Healthcare faces a significant problem with medication errors. According to a report by the National Academy of Medicine, medication errors cause over 7,000 deaths in the USA annually. This number is likely higher due to underreporting of medication mistakes. Several factors contribute to these errors. Doctors work in a high-stress environment, potentially causing them to overlook crucial details. The pharmacy may fill the wrong prescription, and patients may not correctly follow instructions.
One common medication error involves prescribing the wrong medication or dosage. Doctors sometimes rely on memory instead of checking the medical record, resulting in incorrect prescriptions. Administering medication at the wrong time or route is another frequent mistake. Some medications require food intake, while others need an empty stomach. Not following these instructions can lead to adverse effects. Pharmacists can also make mistakes with medication labels, which confuses patients.
Psychological and Financial Effects
Medical errors not only physically harm patients but also inflict debilitating psychological and financial effects on both the patient and their family. The patient and their family may incur significant costs due to hospital visits, prescription medications, rehabilitation, and court proceedings. Additionally, a patient might face challenges in returning to work or living independently. Life-altering procedures such as amputations, spinal cord injuries, and neurological damage demand constant care and attention. Seeking compensation through the legal process can be lengthy and draining, with obtaining the appropriate compensation even more challenging.
Experience You Can Trust and Depend On
When it comes to medical malpractice cases, experienced attorneys can make all the difference. Our team of medical malpractice attorneys has dedicated years to fighting for the rights of medical negligence victims, and we possess the knowledge and expertise to navigate these complex cases. We thoroughly investigate claims and determine liability with your best interests at heart. Whether negotiating a settlement or taking your case to trial, we’re committed to pursuing the compensation you need and deserve. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to reach out for a free consultation today. To schedule, please call 419-843-6663 or use our convenient online contact form.
