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Medication Error Injury Claim- Medical Malpractice Law Firm
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Posted On :
Sep-05-2011
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Article Word Count :
601
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Medication error kills close to 7000 per year and injures over a million more according to recent studies-Stats-Info-Help-medical malpractice law firm
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A medication error can and does happen in any setting related to healthcare. As reported in the landmark report “Prevent Medication Errors” from the Institute of Medicine, medication errors injure one and a half million U.S. citizens each year. Several years back a study was done on adverse drug events that were preventable. It concluded that close to 7.000 Americans are killed annually due to medication errors and that these errors are the biggest cause of fatality for an inpatient at a medical facility. This statistics are obviously very alarming. If you are reading this article because you or a loved one is a victim of a medication error that has resulted in injury or even wrongful death, consult with a medical malpractice law firm who will review the evidence in your case and advise you on a legal course of action to recover damages and losses.
Recent studies highlight the role of fatigue on the part of the caregiver in relation to medication errors. It is well documented that understaffing, fatigue and stress increases the risk of amedication error occurring. Sleep deprivation and fatigue can be linked to a decrease in information processing, memory, decision making and reaction time. The U.S. Army conducted a study that show that a person that stays awake for 17 hour has a reaction time equivalent to a person with a blood alcohol level of .05%. Nurses frequently work long shifts and may even be awake for up to 20 hours. Sleep loss and fatigue are known to diminish the ability of a nurse to recognize a subtle change in the patient that may be a reaction to an incorrect medication.
The administration of medication can be quite complex and includes more than one process. For example, medication goes through a prescribing process, then transcribing, dispensing, and then the administering of the drug, followed by monitoring any response the patient has to the drug. Mistakes can occur at any one of these phases. Many questions arise for victims of medication errors. Call a medical malpractice law firm who will answer your questions and explain the laws pertaining to your case.
A medication error that results in medical malpractice can occur in a number of different ways. One is negligent dosing, meaning the patient received an under dose or over dose of the medicine. These can occur due to a doctor’s mistake in prescribing, a nurse’s mistake in administering the drug, or a mistake by the pharmacist in dispensing or labeling the medication. Also, the use of the incorrect drug can occur due to a pharmacist misreading the physician’s handwriting, or a nurse giving medicine intended for a patient in bed A in a hospital room and accidentally giving it to the patient in bed B in the same room.
Medication errors can also result from drug interaction. A lot of medicines impact the effect of other medications. Sometimes these interactions are dangerous. An allergic reaction to a drug can result in negligence in some cases when a patient receives a drug they are allergic to. All medications have the potential to create unwanted side effects; however if a doctor does not adequately warn and inform a patient about these potentially serious side effects, they do not know what to look for.
If you or someone you know if a victim of a medication error, it is wise to use the services of a capable and caring medical malpractice law firm. They will fight to protect your rights and aggressively pursue the just compensation you need and deserve.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Medication Error Injury Claim- Medical Malpractice Law Firm_79750.aspx
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Author Resource :
The Elite Lawyer Project personal injury lawyers have extensive experience in helping victims of a personal injury accident.Call 877-382-1188 today to speak to our personal injury associates for a free case review.
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Keywords :
medication error, medication error, medical errors, pharmacy error, Chicago medication error, Chicago medication errors, Chic,
Category :
Reference and Education
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Legal
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