4 Example Of What Medical Practice Is

Law Blog

If you talk for long with any medical malpractice lawyer, you'll hear some stories that are downright terrifying. Not every case, though, represents medical malpractice. You can learn more about what is, however, by looking at these four scenarios.

Items Left in Patients' Bodies

Surgical processes require the use of a lot of tools. Some of these items, particularly clamps and sponges that are used to control blood loss, can end up being left in people's bodies. This happens because it's hard to keep track of them when multiple doctors, nurses, and medical techs are all involved in a procedure. A Loyola University Medical System study determined that around 1,500 patients per year are the victims of items being left inside them, and two-thirds of those cases involve sponges.

For example, one California woman suffered the loss of part of her intestine after going in for a hysterectomy and bladder-support procedure. When the issue was checked via X-ray, she was told she was merely constipated. Four years later, the issue had progressed the point she was suffering internal bleeding. Even in the process of trying to rectify the issue, a mass caused by a sponge was only discovered while looking for the wrong thing.

Dangerous Prescriptions

Questions about the prescription of drugs are another common source of cases that you'll hear about at a medical malpractice law firm. Issues with prescriptions can include problems with dosages, allergies, timing, and interactions with other drugs. Ignoring warnings and not conveying them to the patient can also be considered malpractice.

Failures of Monitoring

The duties of medical practitioners go beyond simply doing procedures. It's also important for them to continue to monitor their patients during and after working with them. A Minnesota woman who suffered a ruptured uterus during delivery sued because the staff handling her delivery ignored multiple signs that a rupture had occurred. Both the mother and baby suffered injuries that will plague them for the rest of their lives, and the case was ultimately settled for $5 million.

Diagnostic Failures

Failure to diagnose a condition may constitute medical malpractice. One of the trickier factors in proving such an argument is demonstrating that most other doctors in the same situation would've come to a different conclusion. Malpractice can arise, however, from failing to read lab results properly or from ignoring signs that a patient was experiencing something specific and different. 

If you've experienced any of these situations, then contact a medical malpractice lawyer about your case. 

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22 April 2019

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