Children and Drug Errors That Occur in Hospitals in Washington, PA
As children, we were always taught that doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are the good guys. They are here to help us heal from injuries and illnesses. They are here to treat us during our most difficult battles with disease. However, as we grew older, we discover that not all medical professionals are good guys. Some make mistakes that lead to serious injuries and even death. Others take advantage of insurance policies, patients, and others to pad their pockets. Even though the majority of medical professionals always operate ethically, there’s a small percentage who fail to do so. One of the most glaring issues today is children who suffer injuries from drug errors that occur while in the hospital. Contact our experienced child medication error attorneys at Berger & Lagnese, LLC for a consultation today.
Journal of Pediatrics Study
A new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that there are serious problems involving drug errors and children. The study, published in the April 2008 edition of the journal discovered that almost one in every 15 hospitalized children in the United States suffers from at least one drug error. These errors include reactions to the drugs administered and mistakes made with medications administered to patients. Another frightening issue related to children and drug errors in the hospital is that of accidental overdoses.
Researchers working on the study found that the drug errors mentioned above could affect more than 540,000 children each year in the United States. This amounts to roughly seven percent of all children hospitalized in the country yearly. The researchers also discovered that close to one out of every five of these drug errors could have easily been prevented by the medical professional responsible for the mistake.
Determining the Statistics
The previous estimate related to drug errors and children came in at two out of every 100 across the country. This old statistic was determined using methods known as voluntarily reporting errors and reviewing patient charts in an nonspecific manner. The revised statistic, which increases the occurrence of children affected by drug errors to 11 out of every 100 children, was arrived at by using a new detection method.
The new detection method involved looking at 15 triggers that could be found on the chart of a young patient. These triggers were looked at to determine if the child might have been subjected to a drug error of any kind. This form of screening was used in the study, which looked through the charts of 960 children who were chosen at random. The children received treatment at 12 hospitals that are freestanding across the country in the year 2002.
More than 50 percent of the drug errors that the researchers discovered involved morphine and other types of painkillers. The drug errors the researchers found involved reactions to the medications and accidental overdoses. A trigger used on the list was that of symptoms caused by an overdose to morphine and the need for naloxone to be administered. Naloxone is the antidote to morphine. The study concluded that 22 percent of the drug errors found could have been prevented and were deemed to be mild in nature. None of the drug errors discovered resulted in fatalities or serious harm, but they could have.
Contact a Uniontown Medical Malpractice Attorney for a Consultation About Your Children Medication Error Case in Pennsylvania
Were you or a loved one injured due to medical malpractice in Pennsylvania? Then you need to talk to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible for guidance on how to proceed. The Erie surgical malpractice medication error attorneys at Berger & Lagnese, LLC are prepared to assist you with your legal claim. We represent victims of negligent surgeons, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists throughout Pennsylvania, including Greensburg, Indiana, New Castle and Pittsburgh, PA. Call us today at 412-471-4300 or email us to schedule a consultation. Our main office is located at 310 Grant Street Suite 720 Pittsburgh, PA 15219
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.