Emergency rooms handle urgent medical situations, but mistakes can happen. Errors in these fast-paced environments can cause serious harm. Understanding the causes of these mistakes helps you stay informed and proactive about your care.
Overcrowding and understaffing
Emergency rooms often experience high patient volumes. When too many people need care at once, medical staff may become overwhelmed. This can lead to rushed evaluations, misdiagnoses, and treatment delays. Hospitals with inadequate staffing levels may struggle to provide the attention each patient requires.
Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment
Doctors in emergency rooms must make quick decisions, sometimes with limited information. This urgency increases the risk of misdiagnosis. If a doctor overlooks symptoms or dismisses concerns too quickly, patients might receive incorrect or delayed treatment. Conditions like strokes, heart attacks, and infections require immediate attention, and any delay can worsen outcomes. When this occurs, it may be considered medical malpractice.
Communication breakdowns
Clear communication between doctors, nurses, and patients is essential. Miscommunication about symptoms, medication history, or test results can lead to serious mistakes. If one medical professional fails to relay important information to another, a patient may receive incorrect treatment or miss out on necessary care.
Medication and dosage errors
Administering the wrong medication or dosage is a common emergency room mistake. Time constraints and distractions can cause nurses or doctors to misread prescriptions or administer drugs meant for another patient. These errors can lead to severe reactions or complications.
Equipment failures and procedural mistakes
Hospitals rely on medical equipment for testing and treatment. Malfunctioning devices or improper use can cause incorrect readings or injuries. Additionally, rushed procedures may lead to improper techniques during surgeries, intubations, or wound care.
How Pennsylvania law applies
In Pennsylvania, medical malpractice laws hold hospitals and medical professionals accountable for negligence. The Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (MCARE) Act requires proper patient care and reporting of errors. If a healthcare provider fails to meet these standards, they can be liable for harm caused by their actions.
