top of page
Writer's pictureShidonna Raven

Types of error and malpractice


Medically reviewed by

Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.D., MSN

Written by Yvette Brazier

Updated on June 8, 2023

Photo Source: Unsplash,










Types of error and malpractice

Examples of cases where an error or negligence could lead to a lawsuit include:

  • misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose

  • unnecessary or incorrect surgery

  • premature discharge

  • failure to order appropriate tests or to act on results

  • not following up

  • prescribing the wrong dosage or the wrong medication

  • leaving things inside the patient’s body after surgery

  • operating on the wrong part of the body

  • the patient has persistent pain after surgery

  • potentially fatal infections acquired in the hospital

  • pressure ulcers, or bedsores


Other serious incidents in the past have included fires in hospitals and patients committing suicide while in the care of health staff.


A team from the University of Illinois reported in Annals of Pharmacotherapy that blood thinners make up about 7 percent of all medication errors in hospitalized patients.

Blood thinners can lower the risk of stroke and heart attack by preventing clots from developing in the veins and arteries, but at higher doses, they can also increase the risk of bleeding.


In 2013, the BMJ published findings indicating Source that the main cause of malpractice was misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis.


In 2016, Johns Hopkins scientists suggested that medical errors should rank as the third leading cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer.


However, it is unclear exactly how many deaths result from malpractice.


Measures that have reduced the incidence of infringements by hospitals include the establishment of guidelines for best practice, and sustained implementation of hand hygiene rules.



Who can these practices influence your health? How can it impact your health? Why?




Share the wealth of health with your colleagues and friends by sharing this article with 3 people today.


If this article was helpful to you, donate to the Shidonna Raven Garden and Cook E-Magazine Today. Thank you in advance.




Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet

Add a rating
bottom of page