Many mistakes happen in the medical world, but some are common. Among these are misdiagnosis, medication errors, faulty medical devices, infections and other injuries caused by treatments. These types of mistakes can often have serious consequences for patients. If you find yourself in this situation because of a mistake committed by your doctor or another health care provider, you need the help of an attorney to protect your legal rights.
The above are just some examples of common mistakes in the medical world that can result in serious consequences for patients. If you find yourself dealing with this type of situation, you need the help of an attorney to protect your legal rights.
That’s the only way you can be sure that your rights are upheld and justice is realized.
Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnoses occur when a patient—or their symptoms—is not properly assessed by the physician or surgeon and instead another cause for their problems is diagnosed or another unrelated problem is diagnosed as the primary one. This often happens when diagnostic tools are not ordered or when they are improperly used.
Medication Error
A medication error occurs when a patient is given the wrong medicine, a medicine prescribed for someone else, the wrong dosage of a medicine or a drug with dangerous side effects filled by mistake. For example, it is possible to mistakenly give a high dose of morphine to a patient with chronic pain. Another example is when a drug such as nitroglycerin, which has many uses and is also important for those with coronary artery disease, is filled by mistake instead of another medicine. As a result, the patient may suffer adverse effects or be made worse rather than better by the treatment received.
Faulty Medical Devices
A faulty medical device is one that has not been properly tested or that has design flaws, manufacturing defects or poor instructions for use. This can happen with any type of medical device, ranging from hearing aids to implants to surgical tools. Medical devices are subject to rigorous testing before they are marketed and sold in the U.S., but problems do occur. One reason is that some companies may cut corners on testing the device or lie about its testing.
Infection
An infection can occur at any time during treatment and care of a patient, and it can result from either a hospital-based cause such as an improperly cleaned instrument or staff member failing to wash their hands before touching the patient or because of the patient’s activities outside the hospital. Either way, if an infection is not treated quickly or properly it can make a patient much worse, including causing life-threatening problems.