Emergency Room Errors

Emergency Rooms, or ER's, at hospitals all over the country are the most stressful
worksites in the healthcare profession. The standard of care in United States hospitals is
high quality. Doctors, nurses, surgeons, and all other healthcare professionals take pride
in this. However, the fact remains that malpractice occurs in the medical profession and
today's hospitals need to improve the care provided in their Emergency Departments.

Errors in hospital Emergency Rooms are a common occurrence infrequently talked about
and rarely reported to the media. That is why you don't hear about these types of cases
on the news. Understaffed hospitals, ill-equipped emergency rooms, and poorly trained
staff may lead to fatal errors when dealing with patients requiring emergency treatment.
Let's face it - when you arrive at your local hospital ER you know absolutely nothing about
who will be taking care of you and there is no time to research the competency and track
record of the ER staff.

There are many ways that errors or malpractice may occur in Emergency Rooms. The
following is a partial list of some of the Emergency Room medical negligence cases we
have handled:

- Medication Errors
- Prescription Errors
- Failing to diagnose impending heart attacks and strokes
- Diagnosis Errors
- Errors in interpreting x-rays, CT scans, and MRI studies
- Discharging patients who are critically ill

Over 225,000 people die from medical malpractice related injuries in a single year
and nearly half of these deaths are from emergency room errors.

The following is a partial list of the more common medical errors which arise in the
Emergency Department:

Failing to administer prophylactic antibiotics in patients with open fractures. An open

fracture is one in which the bone has broken through the skin, and as such, these
fractures present an increased likelihood of infection. The best outcome for these patients
is dependent upon prevention of infection and obtaining a quick union of the fracture.
Prophylactic antibiotics reduce the risk of infection and should be given as soon as
possible.

Failing to diagnose compartment syndrome in patients with tibial fractures. The tibia is the
larger of the two bones of the lower leg and is the weight-bearing bone of the shin. A
compartment syndrome is a serious complication which occurs when the pressure in a
closed fascial compartment rises sufficiently high to cause nerve and tissue injuries.
Without timely diagnosis and treatment, compartment syndrome can cause permanent
loss of use or function in the involved extremity (legs or arms). The clinical signs of
compartment syndrome include pain out of proportion to the injury, pain on passive range
of motion, and loss of distal pulses. Immediate consultation with a surgeon is the
preferred course of treatment.

Failing to treat a perirectal abscess in a diabetic patient as an emergency. Patients who

are diabetic present many unique challenges to their health care providers. A perirectal or
perianal abscess is a pool of pus that forms next to the anus, often causing considerable
tenderness and swelling in that area and pain on sitting down and on defecating. These
abscesses or infections have a tendency to rapidly progress to deeper, more serious
infections in diabetic patients. The abscess can develop into Fournier's gangrene, a life-
threatening infections with a reported mortality rate of 9% - 43%. Again, prompt
consultation with a surgeon is the preferred course of action.

Failing to provide the proper airway for patients with facial or skull fractures. Establishing
and securing an airway is one of the first steps addressed by all Emergency Departments.
There are several ways to accomplish this goal but the main techniques are tracheal
intubation (either oral or nasal), bag and mask, or a surgical procedure known as a
cricothyroidotomy. Emergency physicians should almost never attempt a nasal tracheal
intubation in patients with facial or skull fractures due to the possibility of passing the
tube into the cranial vault and thereby cause even more serious injuries.

Failing to admit unstable patients or patients with unclear diagnoses to the hospital.
Remember, the Emergency Room doctor's first responsibility is to stabilize the patient and
then make appropriate decisions about the patient's continuing care needs. Most ER
doctors do not have admitting privileges at the hospital - they must contact the patient's
regular doctor or the hospital admitting doctor for permission to admit the patient directly
from the ER into the hospital. Almost everyone has a story about a friend or family
member who was discharged from the Emergency Room returned to their home and
within hours or a couple of days suffered a disastrous outcome. Make sure your friend or
family member is stable, and with a plan of treatment, before discharge from the ER.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/emergency-room-errors-

163438.html#ixzz0rsqbeR5Q (MARCH 2010)