People generally go to emergency rooms for one of two reasons: they are very sick or seriously injured. Emergency room patients are vulnerable and forced to trust emergency room medical providers to identify the source of their sickness or injury and provide a plan of care to remedy the issue. And all at a time while the patient is not feeling like themselves due to injury or illness.
The Reality of Emergency Medicine Cases
Unfortunately, emergency room medical providers often fail to identify clear and obvious symptoms or the “can’t miss” diagnosis indicating that a patient is suffering from a serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition. While each case presents its own unique facts, emergency room failures are often the predictable result of several preventable issues that plague many emergency departments:
- Busyness / Inadequate Staffing
Emergency medicine providers are often too busy, overwhelmed, and/or overworked to provide sufficient attention and care to individual patients. Because of this, things that should be observed either are not observed, are not appreciated, or are not communicated. This can put patients seriously at risk. - Poor Shift Change Communication
Emergency room medical providers, whether they be doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or other nurses or medical professionals usually work in shifts. When a shift change happens, the medical provider leaving is supposed to provide the incoming provider with information on their patients’ presenting symptoms and plan of care. This is to ensure that there are open lines of communication and continuity of care for the patient. However, there is often a breakdown in communication and a failure to review previous documentation that leads to medical decisions being made without knowing all the necessary information, or understanding previous communications. This hurts patients. - Inadequate Policies and Procedures
Hospitals are required to develop policies and procedures for patient care. However, hospitals often fail to develop adequate policies and procedures that govern medical decision making and communications. Additionally, many facilities are concerned with conserving costs, which can come at the expense of patient care. - Failures of Training, or to Follow Policies and Procedures
Even when hospitals have appropriate procedures in place, such policies are not always enforced or followed. Lack of appropriate training and policy enforcement can result in dangerous medical care.
When emergency room medical providers miss or fail to recognize the importance of symptoms, it can lead to serious adverse consequences including life-altering injuries and death for emergency room patients.
Our Experience of Where Medical Negligence Can Begin
Over our 60+ years in practice, Plakas Mannos has walked with countless clients and families who have been victims of medical negligence, and many times this negligence starts in the emergency department. Some examples that can lead to medical negligence claims can include:
- Missed stroke diagnosis or delayed treatment of stroke, resulting in death.
- Missed DVT diagnosis or delayed treatment of DVT, resulting in death.
- Missed HIT (heparin-induced thrombocytopenia) diagnosis or delayed treatment of HIT, resulting in death.
- Missed infection diagnosis or delayed treatment of infection, resulting in death.
- Releasing patients before their acute and emergent medical conditions are stabilized, resulting in death.
- Delayed administration of urgently needed lifesaving medication.
- Missed aortic dissection diagnosis, resulting in death.
When You Need the Best Medical Negligence Lawyers
The devastation from these types of cases cannot be overstated and is compounded by the fact that when any of us go to an emergency medical provider, we trust them to treat us – and our family members – appropriately and properly.
Plakas Mannos is committed to holding medical providers accountable to prevent future injuries and deaths. If you or a family member have been injured as a result of negligent emergency room medical care, contact the Plakas Mannos medical malpractice team for an evaluation of your case.
Meet the Medical Malpractice Team
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