Common Hospital Errors that Lead to Malpractice Claims

We turn to hospitals when we’re at our most vulnerable, and we put our trust in the care we receive. Unfortunately, hospital errors are not uncommon and can lead to serious health concerns and legal damages. One of the most important steps you can take if you’ve been harmed as a result of a hospital error is consulting with an experienced injury attorney at Mette Law early on.

Common Forms of Hospital Errors

Every claim involving hospital error has its own specific characteristics and follows its own path. There are certain categories of hospital errors, however, that are significantly more common than others.

Diagnostic Errors

Diagnostic errors are widely recognized as among the most common types of hospital errors. Prime examples include all the following:

• A premature finalization of the diagnosis
• Failure to adequately test
• Delayed diagnosis
• Use of incomplete health history
• Inadequate examination

Medication Errors

Medication errors are preventable events that lead to, or directly cause, a patient being harmed by the medication they take. This applies when it is under the control of a member of the hospital staff or the patient themselves, provided the instructions are followed.

The most common medication errors involve the following:

• Prescribing the wrong medication
• Failing to monitor the effects of the medication on the patient adequately
• Making mistakes in the course of writing the prescription
• Prescribing the wrong dosage
• Administering the medication incorrectly

Surgical Errors

Surgical errors are preventable mistakes that occur during surgery and harm patients. A prime example is anesthesia errors, which generally involve using the wrong anesthesia, the wrong amount, or both. Another common concern is the injuries caused by inadequate patient monitoring during surgery. Inadequate sterilization that leads to post-op infections is also common.

Never Events

It would be remiss to discuss hospital errors without mentioning never events. These are completely preventable surgical errors that are so egregious that they should never happen. While never events are less common than other kinds of hospital errors, they are closely associated with severe consequences. Examples of these extreme hospital errors include the following:

• Performing surgery on the wrong patient
• The wrong surgery
• Performing surgery on the wrong body part or on the right body part but on the wrong side of the patient’s body
• Leaving surgical instruments in the patient, which is more common than the others, and is closely related to life-threatening infections

Our Experienced Lawyers Care About You and Your Claim

Our distinguished Harrisburg medical malpractice attorneys at Mette Law have extensive experience handling even the most challenging claims to protect our clients’ rights and ensure they receive the compensation they deserve. Learn more by contacting us online or by calling our firm at 717-232-5000 today.