Medical errors lead to approximately 250,000 deaths annually, making them a prominent cause of preventable mortality. These fatalities can arise from genuine errors made by healthcare professionals or from cases of medical negligence and malpractice.
When a patient suffers harm or injury due to such negligence or malpractice, they have the right to file a lawsuit against the healthcare provider for damages. Continue reading to discover some common medical errors, which can help you take proactive measures to safeguard yourself.
Medication Errors
Medication errors rank among the most prevalent types of errors in healthcare systems worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that nearly 50% of all preventable medical errors stem from improper medication usage and treatment protocols.
Common medication error categories include:
- Administration Errors: These errors occur when the wrong administration route is used, medications are given to the wrong patient, expired drugs are administered, or the appropriate dose isn’t given.
- Prescribing Errors: A significant portion of medication errors is linked to prescribing mistakes, which can occur at any stage of the prescription process, including inappropriate dosing or failure to prescribe necessary medications.
- Labeling and Packaging Mistakes: Lack of clear instructions or poor labeling can confuse patients, leading them to take incorrect doses or misuse medications.
Diagnostic Errors
Delayed or incorrect diagnoses can have fatal consequences for patients requiring urgent medical attention. When a healthcare provider fails to diagnose a condition promptly, the patient may face worsening health, leading to severe complications or even death.
Common diagnostic errors include:
- Failure to Diagnose: For instance, a physician’s failure to identify colon cancer in a patient exhibiting classic signs can lead to a malpractice claim.
- Wrong Diagnosis: This occurs when a medical condition is misidentified, potentially resulting in delayed or inappropriate treatment. For example, mistaking a pulmonary embolism for bronchitis can lead to dire consequences.
- Delayed Diagnosis: A situation in which a doctor overlooks early symptoms of a disease, such as cancer, leading to late-stage diagnosis and more difficult treatment options.
Labor and Delivery Errors
While some complications during labor and delivery are unavoidable, others can be prevented with proper care and swift diagnosis.
Common contributors to birth injuries include:
- Improper labor induction techniques
- Inappropriate use of forceps or vacuum extractors
- Failure to identify fetal distress
- Inability to prevent premature labor
- Failure to recognize uterine rupture symptoms
- Lack of timely action in maternal distress cases
Laboratory Errors
Errors in lab tests can have serious, sometimes life-threatening ramifications. The most common and preventable lab errors include:
- Data Entry Errors: Errors may arise from manually entered patient test requests, such as misinterpretation of handwriting or typographical mistakes. Utilizing modern laboratory information systems can greatly reduce such errors.
- Patient Identification Errors: Mistakes in identifying patients can lead to misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment plans.
- Expired Reagents: Lab reagents should be used within their shelf life, as expired reagents can significantly alter lab results, complicating diagnosis and treatment.
Surgical Errors
Surgical errors are relatively common yet often preventable, contributing to a significant number of medical malpractice claims. Many of these errors result from inadequate training, miscommunication, or distractions during surgery. Depending on the severity, such errors can lead to severe injuries, infections, or fatalities.
Common surgical errors that lead to malpractice claims include:
- Negligent Surgical Procedures: When a medical professional fails to uphold established standards, resulting in patient harm—common examples being wrong-site surgeries or leaving instruments inside the patient.
- Delay in Surgery: Vital surgeries may be delayed due to inadequate response times, potentially leading to serious complications for the patient.
- Infection Control Failures: Surgeons must take appropriate precautions to prevent infections at the surgical site. Failing to do so can lead to serious consequences and potential claims of medical negligence.
- Unnecessary High-Risk Surgeries: Performing surgeries deemed nonessential can result in claims of negligence.
- Failure to Recommend Necessary Surgery: When a crucial surgical intervention is overlooked, it may also be grounds for a malpractice claim.
How to Protect Yourself from Medical Errors
While some medical errors stem from genuine mistakes, others arise from negligence and malpractice. No matter the cause, patients harmed by healthcare providers have the right to seek legal action.
To stay safe, always ask questions and consider obtaining second opinions.
