Hospital errors are quite prevalent in America. Hundreds of thousands of patients suffer needless harm from this under-reported epidemic. Each year, there are more than 400,000 premature deaths associated with preventable harm in hospitals, according to an article in Journal of Patient Safety. Medical errors are now the third-leading cause of death in America, reports CNN.

Reasons for Hospital Errors

Many factors contribute to hospital errors, most of which are preventable. In an article in the Journal of Patient Safety, John T. James, Ph.D., states, “The portion of adverse events that are deemed preventable tends to be about 50 to 60 percent; however, recently, experts have postulated that virtually all adverse events they identified with the [patient harms associated with hospital care] are preventable.” The key word in that statement is “all.”

A few of the most common causes of hospital errors are listed below.

Lack of adequate procedures and protocols that help deter mishaps
Staff not heeding hospital procedures
Inadequate diagnostic tools
Inadequate training
Under-staffing
A rushed, chaotic environment
Poor staff-to-staff and staff-to-patient communication
Failure to fact check, identify the patient, read patient’s history, etc.
Not having a “time out” prior to surgery
Staff that are overworked or under the influence of drugs

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Types of Hospital Errors

There are numerous types of errors hospitals make. Diagnosis errors are common. Wrong or late diagnoses can cause serious harm to the patient. For instance, a woman in her 50s went to several hospitals for recurring chest pain. All failed to diagnose her condition – spinal cord compression. Because it was undiagnosed for so long, she is now a paraplegic, cites TIME.

Below are other examples of mistakes made at hospitals.

Treating the wrong patient
Various surgery errors
Prescribing wrong medications or making dosage errors
Operating on the wrong patient or body part
Leaving objects inside patients after surgery
Anesthesia mistakes
Transmission of diseases through improperly sterilized equipment and other means of propagating hospital-acquired diseases
Poor wound care leading to infection
Losing dementia-prone patients
Birth and delivery mistakes
Prematurely releasing a patient

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Damages Caused by Hospital Negligence

The ramifications of a hospital mistake can be devastating and deadly. For instance, when a surgeon makes operates on the wrong body part, the original health condition still will be unremedied – plus, it will create new medical issues that can be tragic, e.g., a mastectomy on the wrong breast.

Patients harmed due to hospital negligence may be able to file a claim to pursue a financial settlement for their damages. The first step in taking legal action is to consult a medical malpractice attorney to review your case and ensure your situation meets all the elements necessary to win a malpractice claim.

Our team handles malpractice cases throughout the state, and we are dedicated to helping wronged patients obtain the financial restitution they deserve from negligent hospitals. Give us a call to schedule a free consultation at 855-529-0269.

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