Medical malpractice is an act of professional negligence by a healthcare provider that results in serious injuries or possibly death of the patient. For a better understanding of the topic, we will have to look for examples of such malpractice. There are a number of malpractice examples available on the web. Here we have compiled some of them for you. So check out below.
Anesthesia Negligence
A patient suffering from asthma was injected with excessive anesthesia while attempting intubation. The overdose of anesthesia resulted in respiratory paralysis and death of the patient.
Dental Negligence
A dentist failed to apply antibiotic after operating on a compacted tooth. It resulted in the upward spread of infection ultimately reaching the brain and causing paralysis.
Emergency Medicine Negligence
- When a 50-year-old diabetic patient did not express any classic symptoms of heart attack, the doctor failed to make a proper diagnosis which resulted in the death of the patient.
- Misdiagnosis of a teenager who had a motorcycle accident leads to death when the attendant ignored delayed cerebral bleeding.
Family Medicine Negligence
Incomplete diagnosis of a teenager suffering from meningitis dies due to incomplete and symptomatic medication.
Gynecology Negligence
- The presence of scar tissues due to prior abdominal surgeries keeps the gynecologist from performing a low risk necessary surgery due to the risk of bowel perforation, results in an emergency and colostomy is performed.
- Ignoring the possibility of bowel perforation after performing C-section leads to an advanced infection resulting in the death of the mother.
Hospital Negligence
- Failure to provide proper post-operation treatment to a female patient by the nursing staff causes the development of respiratory problems and death of the patient.
- When House Officer fails to inform the attending physician about the sore throat of the patient who is undergoing neck disc surgery, the patient dies because of excessive bleeding in neck and unavailability of proper surgical equipment in the hospital.
Nursing Negligence
- Nurse forgets to remove a surgical sponge from the patient’s body which leads to abdominal complications till it is removed by a surgery.
- Child suffers from a severe brain injury when the nurse fails to monitor infant’s breathing properly leading to permanent brain damage to the child.
- Failure to retract a urinary catheter without deflation from a male patient’s bladder results in extreme pain and damage to the internal structure of the bladder.
Orthopedist Negligence
- A case of misdiagnosis leads to multiple hip replacement surgeries of a female patient when the orthopedist fails to diagnose a fracture after a motor vehicle accident.
- After a successful surgery of a fracture suffered due to a fall, the attendant fails to disinfect the operated site properly which results in the spread of infection in the entire leg and leads to amputation.
Surgery Negligence
- Operating a healthy organ instead of the damaged organ leading to a number of complications.
- Administration of wrong drugs during surgery leading to increased blood pressure and heart attack.
Radiology Negligence
It is the excessive exposure to X-rays leading to the formation of a benign tumor.
If you think any of above mentioned has happened to you, you must get in touch with Baizer Kolar P.C. now and file a lawsuit for compensation.
Medical malpractice happens when a doctor, physician, psychiatrist or any other healthcare provider fails to meet the required standard of care resulting in injury or death to his/her patient. Considering the vastness of the medical field, there are several types of medical malpractices. However, it is important to note that not every injury sustained by a patient during the course of treatment is a potential lawsuit. It is better to seek advice from a medical attorney before filing a case. So let’s check out some of the basic types of medical malpractice.
1 – Misdiagnosis
It is the leading cause of malpractice claims in the US. Missed or delayed diagnosis can be very harmful to the patient and may lead to complications in the later stages of the treatment. Early diagnosis of a condition is vital and may safe a patient’s life. Moreover, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis can directly affect the prescription and post-treatment recovery. As the burden of proof is always on the plaintiff, he/she will have to prove how misdiagnosis led to malpractice and the best way to do that is by hiring a suitable expert who will show how correct diagnosis would have avoided the malpractice.
2 – Childbirth injuries
More than half of the total malpractice claims are made due to the injuries sustained by a baby during delivery. Childbirth injuries can occur while the fetus is still inside the womb and include partial or complete paralysis, head injuries and bone fractures. Failure to diagnose any transmittable disease from mother to child, failure to identify any birth defects or failure to predict any serious avoidable damage to the mother during pregnancy can be regarded as malpractice. Moreover, failure to deal with delivery, administration of C-section when required or anticipation of fetal distress is also termed as medical malpractice.
3 – Medication errors
Medication errors are some of the most common personal errors that occur within the four walls of a hospital or a clinic. It includes;
- Giving a wrong prescription
- Inappropriate administration of a drug
- Failure to predict the possibility of a harmful drug interaction
- Giving wrong medication to wrong patient
4 – Anesthesia Errors
These errors occur rarely but can prove fatal in certain conditions. A patient can sue an anesthesiologist for malpractice due to;
- Ignoring the medical history of the patient
- Failure to inform about the preoperative measures
- Anesthesia overdose
- Failure to observe body’s reaction to anesthesia
5 – Surgery errors
Medical malpractice can occur during surgery if the surgeon makes errors such as operating the wrong body organ, cutting or piercing a vessel, leaving medical equipment such as a scissor or a napkin inside the patient’s body. Improper post-operation care by the nursing staff is also a malpractice.
6 – Cosmetic surgery
Cosmetic surgery is relatively a modern phenomenon and got fame in 2006 when 11 million procedures were performed in a single year. Several errors may arise during a cosmetic surgery which can be regarded as medical malpractice.
These are the basic types of medical malpractices. If you are a victim to any of the medical malpractice, you can contact Baizer Kolar P.C. and the firm lawyers will ensure that you receive your compensation.