Medication Errors in Hospitals from Medical Malpractice
by
Bruce Fagel on Nov. 12, 2012
Accident & Injury Medical Malpractice Accident & Injury Personal Injury Accident & Injury Wrongful Death
Summary: Over 1.5 million cases of medication errors happen in hospitals every year. Sometimes these errors result in severe injuries or death to the patients.
Every year there are over 1.5 million cases of medication errors occurring in hospitals, making it one of the most common medical errors in the United States. And these are just the reported cases. Many additional cases go unreported or undiscovered. In fact, on average, every hospitalized patient encounters at least one medication per day in the U.S.
It is important to note that most medication errors do not result in any significant harm to a patient. However, sometimes medication errors result in serious injuries including brain injuries or death. The Law Offices of Dr. Bruce G. Fagel & Associates has successfully handled many medical malpractice lawsuits involving medication mistakes. One such example involves administering too much Demerol in patients which led to the patients deaths. Other cases involve medical professionals administering heparin, which is a blood thinner, which resulted in serious brain injuries. When a patient is administered the wrong medication or an overdose of the correct medication, serious and permanent injuries can occur.
While most of the time, these medication errors do not result in any noticeable harm or injury, sometimes they do. Our law offices have experienced many medication error cases, including those involving a build-up of Demerol in patients, due to doctor miscommunication, that ultimately lead to the death of the patients. Other cases of medication errors resulted from patients incorrectly receiving heparin, a blood thinner, which can result in a serious injury to the brain, if the patients weren’t in the proper medical condition to receive this medication.
How do you know if a medication error occurred?
Evidence of a medication error can often be discovered by the administration of a corrective medication, such as administering Protamine to reverse the effects of an overdose of Heparin, or giving Narcan to counter the effects of an overdose of narcotic pain medications. We had a case involving a young person who died from a routine appendectomy, because the doctors and nurses miscommunicated about which medications to give this person for his pain.
A qualified medical malpractice attorney who specializes in medication errors can thoroughly investigate the medical records of a patient to determine if the patient was administered the wrong drug or too high of a dosage of a drug. Dr. Bruce Fagel is both a medical malpractice lawyer and a licensed medical doctor. The medical background gives Dr. Fagel the experience necessary to discover where a medication error occurred and the ability to examine the medical records for errors. If the patient died from medication errors, an autopsy may be available to examine as well. Hospital staff are taught how to put as little information as possible in the patient’s chart, but instead, complete a detailed form which goes to the hospital attorney, thus, making it much more difficult for an inexperienced attorney to discover the error. Again, a medical malpractice attorney who is also a licensed medical doctor gives the patient or the patients’ family a knowledgeable resource to find out exactly how the patient was injured or died.
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It is important to note that most medication errors do not result in any significant harm to a patient. However, sometimes medication errors result in serious injuries including brain injuries or death. The Law Offices of Dr. Bruce G. Fagel & Associates has successfully handled many medical malpractice lawsuits involving medication mistakes. One such example involves administering too much Demerol in patients which led to the patients deaths. Other cases involve medical professionals administering heparin, which is a blood thinner, which resulted in serious brain injuries. When a patient is administered the wrong medication or an overdose of the correct medication, serious and permanent injuries can occur.
While most of the time, these medication errors do not result in any noticeable harm or injury, sometimes they do. Our law offices have experienced many medication error cases, including those involving a build-up of Demerol in patients, due to doctor miscommunication, that ultimately lead to the death of the patients. Other cases of medication errors resulted from patients incorrectly receiving heparin, a blood thinner, which can result in a serious injury to the brain, if the patients weren’t in the proper medical condition to receive this medication.
How do you know if a medication error occurred?
Evidence of a medication error can often be discovered by the administration of a corrective medication, such as administering Protamine to reverse the effects of an overdose of Heparin, or giving Narcan to counter the effects of an overdose of narcotic pain medications. We had a case involving a young person who died from a routine appendectomy, because the doctors and nurses miscommunicated about which medications to give this person for his pain.
A qualified medical malpractice attorney who specializes in medication errors can thoroughly investigate the medical records of a patient to determine if the patient was administered the wrong drug or too high of a dosage of a drug. Dr. Bruce Fagel is both a medical malpractice lawyer and a licensed medical doctor. The medical background gives Dr. Fagel the experience necessary to discover where a medication error occurred and the ability to examine the medical records for errors. If the patient died from medication errors, an autopsy may be available to examine as well. Hospital staff are taught how to put as little information as possible in the patient’s chart, but instead, complete a detailed form which goes to the hospital attorney, thus, making it much more difficult for an inexperienced attorney to discover the error. Again, a medical malpractice attorney who is also a licensed medical doctor gives the patient or the patients’ family a knowledgeable resource to find out exactly how the patient was injured or died.
Visit us on Facebook and Twitter:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/birthinjury
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fagellaw