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Common Types of Medical Malpractice

Posted on 17. Feb, 2010 by Admin in Uncategorized

Medical malpractice comes in many more forms than those shown in high-profile cases: anesthetic errors, surgical accidents, amputation of the wrong limb. There are practically as many types of medical malpractice as there are fields of expertise in medicine, of which there are dozens, if not hundreds. However, most cases of medical malpractice fall under one of six categories: emergency room errors, misdiagnosis, prescription errors, birth injuries, surgical errors, and general neglect.

Emergency room errors
Because of its fast pace and high-stress environment, the emergency room is the most common site of medical errors. While some safety measures are standard, some hospitals fail to comply due to budget, staffing, or organization problems. Common emergency room errors include delayed treatment, insufficient first aid, and poor sanitation.

Misdiagnosis
This term can refer to a wrong, delayed, or missed diagnosis, which results in a delay or complete lack of treatment that aggravates the patient’s condition. Effects can range from pain and discomfort to long-term injuries or death. Commonly misdiagnosed conditions include cancer, meningitis, heart attacks, stroke, and brain injury.

Prescription errors
In this type of malpractice, the fault can be attributed to the prescribing doctor, administering nurse, pharmacy, or pharmaceutical company involved. This can include the unauthorized use of experimental drugs, incorrect dosage, poor administration, or prescriptions inappropriate for the patient or the patient’s condition.

Surgical errors
Its delicate and high-risk nature makes surgery an easy site for medical errors. A surgical error can result in anything from post-operation pain to unnecessary loss of a body part. Anesthesia errors, wrong-site surgery, and the use of improperly sterilized equipment are among the more common types of surgical error.

Birth injuries
Errors in the birthing process can cause long-term disability or death for the mother or child, or sometimes both. These include improper monitoring of vital statistics, inadequate care, and inappropriate medications. Such errors can lead to brain injuries, fractures, cerebral palsy, infection, or stillbirth.

General neglect
A study by the House of Representatives showed that around 30% of nursing homes in the U.S. have had incidents of patient abuse, which cause hundreds of otherwise preventable deaths. Most cases of nursing home neglect involve failure to provide proper medication, appropriate diets, adequate supervision, and protection from safety hazards.

This article is purely for informational purposes and must not be taken as legal advice.

Additional legal resource: The Barber Law Firm, Dallas, Texas. Serving clients in the Greater Dallas area.

Tags: birth injuries, medical malpractice, misdiagnosis, surgery errors