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Malpractice Dangers and Medical Lawsuits
4 Most Common Errors

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Medical malpractice laws vary by state. Generally, however, a medical malpractice suit is won when a healthcare provider fails to perform up to expected standards and that failure causes injury or death.
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This approach is designed to protect patients while ensuring doctors aren’t liable for terminal illnesses and other issues beyond their control.
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Malpractice Dangers and Medical Lawsuits:
Inpatient & Outpatient Settings, 4 Common Malpractice Errors.
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Malpractice Dangers and Medical Lawsuits: Error #1:
Diagnosis Failures
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Before treating a patient, you must first determine what is wrong. A variety of tools such as blood tests, x-rays and scans are used to diagnose illness. Unfortunately, sometimes doctors and technicians misread these tests or fail to notice subtle but important clues.
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These errors or omissions can delay treatment or lead to the wrong treatment, both of which are dangerous for patients.
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Many serious illnesses like cancer and meningitis are easy to miss in early stages. It is therefore crucial that medical professionals do everything possible to reduce the rate of errors when reading radiographs and other tests.
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Malpractice Dangers and Medical Lawsuits: Error #2:
Medication Mistakes
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Medication mistakes affect more than 1.5 million Americans each year. Doctors sometimes prescribe the wrong medication or an incorrect dosage.
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In other cases, doctors fail to recognize potentially toxic drug interactions or adequately warn patients about a medication’s side effects.
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Drug interactions are sometimes spotted by pharmacists when filling the prescription, but not always. Due to interaction potential, encourage patients to fill all their prescriptions at the same pharmacy.
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Malpractice Dangers and Medical Lawsuits: Error #3:
Surgical Errors
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Frequently the result of a communication issue, surgical mistakes account for 1/3 of medical malpractice claims.
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The use of improperly sterilized surgical equipment is an example of a surgical error, as is leaving gauze or other surgical equipment inside the patient.
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Surgery is sometimes performed on the wrong part of the body or on the wrong patient altogether. Organ damage may constitute medical malpractice as does amputation of the wrong limb.
Well-trained nurses who have completed MSN online programs or other relevant degrees are crucial in helping prevent these types of mistakes as they often have contact with the patient while they are being prepped for surgery.
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Their knowledge of each individual helps them advocate for patients who are under anesthesia and unable to speak for themselves.
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Malpractice Dangers and Medical Lawsuits: Error #4:
Anaesthesia Problems
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Improperly administered anaesthesia can result in serious problems, including permanent brain damage and death. Anesthesiologists are responsible for understanding a patient’s complete medical history, giving patients pre-operative instructions and maintaining functional equipment.
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They must also administer the correct dose of anesthesia, monitor vital signs during the procedure and maintain the patient’s airway during surgery. Failure to do any of these things could result in a malpractice suit.
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Mistakes with anesthesia, surgery and medications are the most common reasons for medical malpractice lawsuits. Failure to diagnose problems correctly and in a timely manner is also problematic.
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To protect yourself from liability, it is important to stay abreast of the latest medical developments, remain vigilant in your practice and hire a well-trained support staff you and your patients can trust.
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Article by Anica Oaks
anicaoaks@gmail.com, Google+ page
Freelance writer and web enthusiast
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