Hospital errors can happen for a multitude of reasons. And although not every adverse outcome means that malpractice has happened, when it is clear that a medical professional has made a mistake that led to that adverse outcome, then the responsibility for a patient’s harm may lie with the doctor or even the medical institution itself.
Certain kinds of hospital errors are more dangerous than others. Some of the most common medical errors that take place in Ohio every year, which are explored below, can potentially lead to debilitating or even fatal harm.
Medication errors
First and foremost, medical professionals can make numerous mistakes with medications. A patient could be given the wrong medication or even one that they are allergic to. Someone could be given two medications that have a negative interaction. In some cases, patients may get the right medicine, but they get the wrong dose, which can have serious ramifications.
Diagnostic errors
Next, there are mistakes made when making a diagnosis. In some situations, this means that the doctor makes the wrong diagnosis entirely. For instance, perhaps they tell a patient that they just have heartburn and they should go home and take a nap, but the patient is really having a heart attack and passes away at home. There are other cases in which a diagnosis is merely delayed. This can still have serious ramifications, though, because it delays the treatments that the person needs. This is a major issue with cancer, as prompt treatment is often necessary to stop the disease from spreading.
Information errors
Finally, there are many medical errors based on the information that the doctors have or the exchange of that information. For instance, a surgeon could be given the wrong medical records. As a result, they may carry out the surgery on the wrong patient or they may perform the wrong type of surgery. A simple miscommunication can change a patient’s life forever.
Medical errors happen every single day. Those who have suffered serious harm or who have lost family members need to know exactly what legal options they have available to them, as they may be entitled to compensation from a doctor or the facility where they work. Seeking legal guidance as proactively as possible, therefore, is a good idea.