Having any type of medical issue can be disconcerting. Even if the problem does not seem that serious, some of the treatments or operations needed to attend to the issue could have considerable risks. Additionally, if doctors, nurses or other staff members do not properly follow the standard of care, mistakes or negligence could lead to serious injuries, illness or even death. In such cases, medical malpractice claims could result.
Ohio readers may be interested in such a case currently underway in another state. According to reports, a 68-year-old woman had been diagnosed with aortic insufficiency, which resulted in her heart’s aortic valve not closing completely. The condition meant that the woman needed to undergo a routine operation to replace the valve. After the surgery, the woman was placed in the intensive care unit, where her family became concerned about her care.
The nurse assigned to the woman had only been out of school for a couple of months, and the family believed that she was not experienced enough to handle the woman’s care. The nurse reportedly asked troubling questions and discounted the family’s concerns over the woman’s breathing. The patient also had a chest tube inserted, which should have been checked every four hours. At some point, there was a kink in the tube, and because the tube had not been properly checked, the woman lost 900 milliliters of blood.
The woman needed to be administered blood in order to make up for what she lost, but the hospital staff reportedly administered the wrong blood type. She had to undergo another surgery to remove that blood, during which doctors discovered other complications and attended to them by removing more blood. Afterward, the woman received medicine to which she was allergic, which had undisclosed repercussions. The woman eventually suffered from sepsis and multiple organ failure due to the previous blood loss, and she did not survive. As a result, the family has filed a lawsuit against the hospital.
As this case shows, a number of mistakes on the part of medical staff can have devastating outcomes. If Ohio residents believe that they or their loved ones suffered from such negligence, they may have reason to file medical malpractice claims. Information on taking such action may help them understand this option.
