Unfortunately, stories about medical mistakes injuring and even killing patients are all too common. When a person has suffered an unexpected injury, illness or condition and their condition has worsened or they have even lost their lives, it is imperative think about how it happened. If the medical professionals made a mistake, they should be held accountable.
News reports show patients were injured by medication errors
Two California hospitals were cited due to medication errors that led to patients being put in unnecessary jeopardy. In one, the mistake is believed to have led to an elderly patient’s death. This case involved an 81-year-old who, over two hours, received two doses of a blood thinner.
Investigators believe that this was the catalyst to the patient dying within 18 hours of suffering a brain bleed. The hospital was cited for not adequately shielding patients from these types of medication errors. A lack of communication between pharmacies was a key factor in the error. Nurses did not make sure they were in lockstep regarding dispensing the medication.
A second patient was given medication intravenously and their blood pressure was believed to have been negatively impacted by it. In other incidents patients did not get the correctly administered medicine to treat asthma or to sedate them. The hospitals instituted plans to address the concerns.
Medical errors are troublingly prevalent
While these incidents occurred on the West Coast, it is vital for people in Illinois and across the nation to be cognizant of the frequency of these and other types of medical malpractice can happen at a moment’s notice. It can change a person’s life or lead to their untimely death.
These cases can be complicated. It might not be clear that a medical error led to the adverse result, so it is wise to act quickly to determine what happened. It can range from giving the wrong dosage, an inappropriate medication or a dangerous combination. If there is even a suspicion that this is what led to the patient being harmed, it is essential to act quickly.