3 Common Examples of Emergency Room Malpractice

Medical malpractice occurs when a patient receives care that falls below the standard of care, resulting in injuries. In a fast-paced emergency department, failure by the staff to pay proper attention to the needs of each patient can result in serious harm.

Here are some of the most common types of errors that lead to injuries and illness in emergency rooms:

Misdiagnosis of a Medical Condition

Many emergency rooms play a key role in diagnosing conditions, particularly when the patient arrives with new or unexplained symptoms. Misdiagnosis is the most common emergency room error. Unfortunately, many serious conditions are often misdiagnosed, including heart attacks, strokes, and severe infections.

Misdiagnosis creates two possible routes for additional injury. First, the condition that was improperly diagnosed may cause serious or fatal harm because it is not properly treated. Second, treatment given for the diagnosis given may injure the patient.

Medication Errors

Medication errors in an emergency room often occur at higher rates than medication errors in other medical settings. Unfortunately, medication errors in the emergency room can be just as dangerous as errors in any other office or hospital room. Receiving the wrong type or dose, or receiving medication to which you are allergic, can cause serious harm.

Failure to Order or Properly Interpret Tests

Failing to order the right tests can cause serious injuries in an emergency room, as can failing to interpret test results correctly. In both situations, doctors may miss vital information, or they may attempt to treat a condition you do not have.

When you go to an emergency room, you seek prompt, effective treatment of the injury or illness that brought you to the emergency room in the first place. You trust the emergency room staff to provide the right care, and the last thing you want is substandard care that leads to further harm.

If you’ve been injured by negligence in the emergency room, talk to an experienced Pittsburgh emergency room malpractice lawyer who can help you determine what happened and seek compensation. Contact Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC today.

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.