{"id":10022,"date":"2020-01-10T13:23:08","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T21:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/?p=10022"},"modified":"2020-01-10T13:23:08","modified_gmt":"2020-01-10T21:23:08","slug":"what-are-the-most-common-causes-of-medical-errors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/2020\/01\/10\/what-are-the-most-common-causes-of-medical-errors\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are The Most Common Causes Of Medical Errors?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When a person goes to a doctor, surgeon, or any other healthcare professional for help, the last thing they expect is that they will be harmed. However, there are times when the careless or negligent actions of a healthcare professional cause serious and long-lasting negative effects. Medical mistakes are more common than most people realize. According to researchers at Johns Hopkins, around 250,000 people are killed each year due to a preventable medical error. If that data is true, that means that medical mistakes are the third leading cause of death in the United States.<\/p>\n

The top medical mistakes in the US<\/h2>\n

Misdiagnosis<\/h3>\n

Johns Hopkins researchers say that diagnostic mistakes result in more patient harm than any other medical error. The right diagnosis is the most important part of a person recovering from what is causing them harm. A wrong diagnosis (or not being diagnosed at all) can delay the treatment a person receives.<\/p>\n

Unnecessary Tests or Treatment<\/h3>\n

In an era where medical professionals feel the need to run every test possible to avoid missing anything, they could be subjecting patients to treatments they do not need. Unnecessary treatment could be the result of a misdiagnosis or an overzealous medical professional. Studies show that unnecessary tests cost patients billions of dollars each year. Worse, these unnecessary tests and treatments could worsen a patient\u2019s condition. There are risks involved in any medical procedure. While there are certainly many tests that may be necessary, each additional medical test places a risk on a person\u2019s health.<\/p>\n

Medication Mistakes<\/h3>\n

These incidents happen regularly. Researchers say that as many as 1.5 million people are hurt each year in the US due to these errors. These mistakes can include a patient receiving the wrong medication, the wrong dosage of their medication, or not receiving the correct medication at all. This can also include a patient receiving a deadly combination of medications due to a lack of review of their medical records by a doctor or pharmacist.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever Events\u201d<\/h3>\n

Never events are things that should absolutely never happen during a medical procedure. This can include operating on the wrong person or wrong body part, leaving an object inside of someone during surgery, air bubbles injected into IVs, food being injected into chest tubes, etc. When these incidents occur, they are often fatal or debilitating.<\/p>\n

Uncoordinated Care<\/h3>\n

Many people see multiple doctors and specialists. Unfortunately, there is no easy or universal system for coordinating a person\u2019s medical records from one medical professional to another. This could lead to doctors performing the same tests, not running vital tests, medical mistakes, and more.<\/p>\n

Healthcare-Acquired Infections<\/h3>\n

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around one out of every 25 hospital patients contracts an infection. Among those who die in the hospital, one out of every three has sepsis at the time of death, an infection that spreads throughout a person\u2019s body. It is vital that medical professionals follow infection control protocols, including washing hands and checking high-risk infection sites (open wounds, IV sites, etc.).<\/p>\n

Medical malpractice compensation<\/h2>\n

If a person is injured due to the careless or negligent actions of a medical professional<\/a>, they could be entitled to compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit. This could include:<\/p>\n