Baltimore Emergency Room Malpractice Attorneys

Lawyers for ER Injuries Caused by Medical Negligence in Baltimore, MD

Emergency room errors that can cause harm to patients include medication and diagnostic mistakes made by doctors and nurses. With doctors and nurses rushing from patient to patient, it is easy for important information to be missed. An oversight, like a skipped question or misjudged symptom, can have long-term impacts that may range from a delayed diagnosis to wrongful death.

Communication Issues

Whether it occurs due to a shift change or a rush of critical patients, poor communication between doctors and nurses is a major factor in many emergency room errors. These errors can result in issues such as extra time in the hospital, delays in treatment, or death.

A spotty medical history or lack of access to lab reports or test results may force emergency room doctors to make decisions without all of the necessary information. Even technological upgrades, like entering patient information into electronic medical records, can leave gaps. When hospital staffers enter information into systems, they may not always follow up with others, and patients' symptoms can go unnoticed and untreated.

Errors Related to Medications

The most frequently reported emergency room errors are medication errors, according to the National Coordination Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. Medication errors may include mistakes such as incorrect doses, an incorrect prescription for a condition, an incorrect prescription for the patient (due to their medical history or conflict with current medications), administering the medication through the incorrect route (for example, in the spinal canal instead of intravenously), or poor monitoring. A medication error can also be caused by misdiagnosis or misreading a chart or label. Overcrowding and the chaotic rush of emergency rooms can contribute to these types of mistakes.

Diagnostic Problems

Sepsis, strokes, and lung cancer are some of the serious health conditions that are commonly misdiagnosed. Some factors resulting in misdiagnosis could include misreading symptoms, failing to consider a patient's medical history, or making assumptions about who is at risk for that kind of ailment. Patients under the age of 50 who experience stroke symptoms like vertigo, nausea, or numbness can be misdiagnosed, because strokes usually affect older people (75% of strokes occur in people 65 or older).

Meningitis

Meningitis is another example of a condition in which a potential misdiagnosis may occur. Meningitis symptoms are commonly mistaken for the flu, but headache, fever, sensitivity to bright light, double vision, neck stiffness, and dizziness can be signs of this serious bacterial infection.

Appendicitis and Pancreatitis

Like meningitis, appendicitis and pancreatitis can easily be mistaken for milder ailments until a condition has turned serious and potentially deadly. The abdominal pain, nausea, tenderness, and vomiting that are indications of appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix) can also be indicative of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Emergency rooms should always treat appendicitis as an immediate emergency. If appendicitis is misdiagnosed or left untreated, it can result in a ruptured appendix, serious infection, and potentially fatal complications.

While most people with acute pancreatitis will experience a full recovery within days (with rest, hydration, and pain management), more serious inflammation or cases of acute pancreatitis can lead to infections, breathing problems, kidney failure, or death. Chronic pancreatitis can also lead to diabetes, chronic pain, malnutrition, and even pancreatic cancer. In cases involving appendicitis and pancreatitis, it is crucial for doctors to diagnose these conditions correctly and treat them accordingly.

Pulmonary Embolism

Finally, another common type of emergency room error is when a physician fails to diagnose a patient with the imminently fatal condition of a pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in one or more of the arteries in the lungs after the clot has broken off from the veins elsewhere, usually in the legs or abdomen. This clot travels through a patient's bloodstream, becoming lodged in the lung's arteries. This will restrict blood flow to the lungs and subsequently lower a person's oxygen levels while increasing their blood pressure. The symptoms of a pulmonary embolism (including shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing) are often subtle, and they may be similar to other, more common conditions.

Because a pulmonary embolism can kill someone within a matter of minutes if not treated with anti-clotting medications, anytime someone is complaining of chest pain or difficulty breathing, a pulmonary embolism must quickly be ruled out by healthcare providers in an emergency room. The failure to do so may constitute medical malpractice.

Contact Our Baltimore Emergency Room Malpractice Lawyers

When emergency room malpractice leads to serious injuries affecting patients, a skilled lawyer can provide assistance with these cases and help a person and their family recover financial compensation for their damages. At Silverman Thompson, lawyers Andrew G. Slutkin and Ethan S. Nochumowitz can provide the legal help needed to protect patients' rights in these situations. To arrange a free consultation, contact our Baltimore, MD emergency room negligence attorneys at 410-385-2225.