Medical Malpractice
Allergic Reactions: The Secret Danger of Anesthesia
While most people do not have an allergic reaction to anesthesia, it can cause a number of problems for those who do. The medical professional treating you should review your complete medical history and past allergic reactions before ordering or administering any anesthesia, as failing to do so may lead to several health problems. Here are some examples.
The Danger of Medication Errors Leading to Kidney Failure
When a doctor prescribes a drug, he needs to carefully review every detail with the patient – and his peers. Giving a patient the wrong medication, too high of a dosage, or medication that the patient is allergic to puts that patient in danger of suffering a severe adverse reaction. Medication errors are one form of medical malpractice, but our topic today is how they can lead to a kidney damage: a life-threatening condition.
Strokes and Negligent Doctors
A stroke, no matter the underlaying cause, is a medical emergency. Untreated strokes can cause brain damage, leading to a lasting disability, or even death. While doctors should always be on the lookout for the possibility of a stroke, many are not. In fact, a number of patients who suffer from strokes are misdiagnosed or their diagnoses are delayed before they can get the treatment they need.
When Misdiagnosis and Vision Loss Mix
No one wants to lose their eyesight. The ability to see brings us great beauty as well as a unique connection to the world, and losing it would be an incredible blow to your ability to work, travel independently, and even perform your favorite hobbies. There are many medical conditions that can lead to vision loss, and we trust doctors to diagnose and treat these conditions in a timely manner. Some medical professionals are negligent, and as a result, many patients suffer from vision loss.
What You Need to Know About the Colorado Candor Act
When you go the hospital, or to see your general practitioner, you do so under the assumption that they will take proper care of you, and help you stay healthy. Sadly, this isn’t always the case. Many people find themselves victims of medical malpractice, which leaves them sick or injured, or even costs their life. After such a tragedy, the victim or family may seek compensation, demanding justice from the medical professional who harmed them. Not that long ago, getting compensation in a medical malpractice claim could be difficult, but thanks to the Colorado Candor Act, things have changed.
The Horrors of Wrong Site Surgery
Surgery is already a nerve-wracking notion for many patients. Despite the fact that surgery is meant to aid in proper healing, the image of a masked surgeon wielding a sharp scalpel is just too much for some people. Surgeries can be painful and scary experiences. The process inflicts trauma and stress on the body. We can’t say we blame anyone who wants to avoid surgery as much as possible. Sometimes, patients endure the pain, fear, trauma and stress only to find out their surgery was done on the wrong body part. We call this a wrong site surgery.
Why a Surgeon May Be Responsible for Your Infection
Surgeries can range from just a quick cut to incredibly invasive and physically traumatic. In every surgery, you hope that the surgeon mas made sure their tools and operating room have been properly cleaned and sterilized before they begin. After all, given how dirty hospitals can become, surgeons and nurses need to be careful to not allow bacteria and viruses to be introduced into their patient’s bodies. Sadly, some surgeons are incredibly negligent, and their negligence allows for deadly surgical infections.
Medical Device Misconnection: the Wrong Tube Can Kill
Our last blog article dealt with medication administration errors—when medication is delivered to patients through the wrong route. (For example, something that was meant to be taken orally is infused into an IV drip.) Now, we’ll be homing in on how doctors and nurses make these mistakes: with medical device misconnections.
How Doctors Administer Medication (and Why It Matters)
Drugs serve many roles in a healthcare setting. They can be used to treat a disease, ease suffering, supply a missing substance, encourage a bodily reaction, or induce unconsciousness. But in the United States, delivering the right drugs to the right patients is a process beset with medication errors.
Misdiagnosis: Commonplace in the United States
According to a study of the U.S. population in the British Medical Journal’s Quality & Safety publication, the number of adult outpatients misdiagnosed each year is both underreported… and estimated to be more than 5%. That’s one out of every twenty patients in the United States. In no fewer than half of those cases, the misdiagnoses led to serious health consequences, such as the advancement of a disease like cancer, or death.