Hospital negligence occurs when healthcare professionals and hospitals fail to fulfill their duty of care, resulting in harm to the patient’s quality of life. Hospital negligence encompasses many types of negligence that occur in hospitals, whether in patient rooms or the emergency area. Hospital negligence can have a significant impact on a patient’s life, as they need to recover from injuries or illnesses. Other than this, their mental health is also affected, and they need to receive compensation to be able to recover from lost wages and from all the medical treatment they must receive after this negative event.
It is essential to be aware of these types of hospital negligence, so that you will know when you can claim compensation. This is exactly what we will explore in this article, so keep reading to learn more.
Surgical mistakes
Among the most common scenarios under the umbrella of hospital negligence are surgical errors. This is also one of the most severe, as it can forever impact the well-being of the victims. Common surgical mistakes include forgetting a surgical tool in the body of the victim, not administering anesthesia correctly, and doing unnecessary damage, such as puncturing an organ, which can leave long-lasting consequences.
This is why the victims who have gone through this scenario must know that they have the right to receive compensation. So, if you are ever in this position, you need to begin seeking justice by filing a hospital negligence claim.
Medication error
Medication errors occur when hospital professionals fail to provide their duty of care regarding dispensing, prescribing, and administering medications. In the hospital, doctors and nurses are working by prescribing medicines to patients, so they should be very careful, as the incorrect medication will open the door to a long list of disadvantages, like worsening the patient’s condition, provoking adverse drug reactions, or even death in the most severe scenarios.
Here are the most common types of medication errors:
- Wrong medication: Hospital staff might administer the wrong drug to a patient by failing to correctly identify the patient.
- Incorrect dosage: Patients may also receive too much or too little medication, which can negatively impact their lives. For example, underdoses will not be able to treat conditions the right way, while overdoses might cause toxicity.
- Missed doses: Missed doses can also have a severe effect on a patient’s health, worsening chronic conditions.
- Drug interactions: When doctors are prescribing and administering medication in hospitals, they need to be careful with the patient’s history, as they might already be taking medication that might react negatively with others.
- Expired medications: Sometimes medical specialists in hospitals fail to check the expiration date, which can cause harm, as the drugs may have undergone chemical changes.
Birth injuries
Hospital negligence is also present in birth injuries. Pregnancy should be one of the most wonderful experiences in a woman’s life. Still, in some cases, this event can turn into a nightmare when the hospital professionals are not providing their duty of care, and because of this, they will pose a risk to the baby’s and mother’s safety. This failure of duty will have long-lasting consequences for the mother and the baby.
There are many examples of when medical professionals failed to meet a high standard of competence, leading to these injuries. Here are some of them.
- Not monitoring the fetal distress: Babies are sensitive creatures, and because of this, any small change can have long-lasting effects on their well-being. There are some signs that doctors should monitor to ensure the baby is healthy. For instance, if the baby’s heart rate changes, it may indicate distress and insufficient oxygen, which can lead to permanent brain damage.
- Delay the C-section surgery: Sometimes, the mother’s life can be in danger, and any wasted minute can be terrific. This means that a C-section can be urgent and can save the life of the mother and baby. Any delay might open the door to severe injuries, including oxygen deprivation.
- Not using the delivery tools or using them improperly. Some tools can help medical professionals during childbirth, but only when used correctly. Examples of these tools are a vacuum extractor or forceps. However, even though they can be helpful, when not used correctly, they can lead to brain bleeding, nerve damage, and skull fractures.
- Medication errors: Medication errors can also be present in birth injuries, where they will negatively impact both the mother’s and baby’s life, as they can generate strong contractions, which will put both bodies under stress.
Medical misdiagnosis
Medical misdiagnosis can also have a long-lasting effect on people’s lives, as hospital professionals might lead an individual to believe they are suffering from an illness that doesn’t exist, prescribe medication for something else, or delay the right treatment. We are going to hospitals trusting that the professionals from there will help us greatly, but sometimes this might not occur, and we might be left with a misdiagnosis. This will lead to trauma and personal injury, and victims might also not trust the medical professionals when they need help in the future.
The bottom line
Many types of hospital negligence are common in Ireland and reduce individuals’ quality of life. This is why it is essential to seek justice and navigate the legal standards so that victims will receive the compensation they need for their physical and emotional recovery. Plus, this process will bring justice and make medical professionals accountable for their actions, while reducing the likelihood that this scenario occurs to another individual in the future.
Feature Image: Photo by zhang shuaizhang on Unsplash
