As we visit medical centres for our medical concerns, the last thing we should expect is to be left with a worsened health condition. Generally, there can be two different reasons for this situation. The first one is the foreseeable risks of the treatment process, and the second can be the medical attendant’s fault to provide the correct treatment. Personal injury laws cover this area of law and support those who are suffering from similar problems. Treatment processes are long journeys that almost every aspect of the treatment requires medical competency. Starting from the diagnosis of the illness to the surgery, the patient’s condition should be inspected before applying any treatment and appointing further surgeries. This process can be visualised as a very long chain which can lead to incorrect results if one link is placed incorrectly. If a patient’s illness is diagnosed incorrectly, any further medical interventions can harm the patient.
Medical negligence
At the beginning of this process, a false diagnosis can lead to an incorrect prescription of medications. As not everyone can use these medications, the patient can suffer minor to major medical conditions. Usage of incorrect medications can even lead to major brain damages. Another mistake that can be done whilst the prescription, is the incorrect evaluation of the patient’s medical history. This is a situation that is entirely different from the diagnosis process. As an example, the diagnosis can be cardiac diseases and this can be correct, however, while prescribing the necessary medications, the patient’s medical history, allergies, gender, and the ongoing usage of medications should be evaluated. This is especially important as other medications can negatively react with the prescribed medications and can cause permanent damages to the patient’s nervous system and brain functions. Even if prescription drugs are correct and suitable for the patient’s condition, the correct amount of usage is also critically important.
Surgical failures and the loss due to incorrect treatment processes
Hospitalising the patient when it is unnecessary can also be an event of negligence. As mentioned before, many processes are applied before reaching a condition if surgery is required or not. Additionally, to the prescription medications, the patient’s whole treatment process matters. If the patient is provided with a medical product such as a pacemaker or any implants, these can fail and cause harm to the patient. Or if the patient’s condition isn’t very serious and the treatment only requires a vaccination, the medical practitioner’s negligence for a split second can lead to administration mistakes.
Similar accidents can also occur in dental treatments. Anaesthetic failures and operations that lead to harm to the patient can be determined as the doctor’s negligence. During the surgeries, the medical centre should make sure all the equipment is in good condition and works without any flaws. A large proportion of medical negligence accidents are due to defected medical equipment. Especially while the anaesthesia process. Burn injuries and major airway complications can result from anaesthesia failures.
During the surgery, overpressure on the patient’s specific body parts and organs can also lead to permanent and critical injuries as one’s muscular and nervous systems can be damaged quite easily during the surgery. However, medical complications can also arise after surgeries and other areas of medical treatments. Such as pre- and post-labour processes. The medical attendant’s duty is to provide the treatment reasonably and just as it is done by the other professionals. During the delivery process of the newborn, similar complications can arise. The baby can be harmed or the mother can suffer adverse conditions. During the pregnancy, medical professionals also owe the same duty to the patient. The pregnant should be treated correctly and if any medications will be prescribed, the process should be applied just as in normal treatments.
