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Every year, patients are victims of medical malpractice as a result of errors made by doctors, nurses or other medical staff. There are many medical providers who maintain a high degree of competence, however, there are still thousands of instances where medical errors and personal injury occurs. Some of the most common examples of medical malpractice include the following:

Wrong site surgery.  Surgeons do operate on the wrong side or wrong organ. Misreading a medical report or failing to follow the prescribed protocol before a procedure begins can result in the tragedy of having the wrong limb amputated or discovering that a healthy organ was mistakenly removed.

Foreign instrument left inside a body cavity. Most of these objects are surgical sponges although occasionally an instrument is left inside a body cavity. The surgical staff must conduct sponge and instrument counts with every surgery. In some egregious cases, patients have retained these objects for months or years while suffering severe pain, bowel obstructions, and infections. Once discovered, patients must undergo emergency surgery, which can expose them to additional infection or other complications, including death.

Misdiagnosis of cancer or any other serious condition. A misdiagnosis, or a delayed diagnosis of cancer or heart disease, or any other serious condition can lead to a situation where early detection could have dramatically increased a patient’s chances of survival or saved a limb or organ from being removed.

Administering the wrong medication or improper dosage. It is vital that medical staff obtain a complete and thorough medical history of a patient to avoid this error. Medication errors result from illegible handwriting, misreading of a record, lack of patient or drug information, failure to know a patient’s reactions to certain drugs, and miscalculations in dosing. Administering the wrong drug or dosage can lead to stroke or organ failure or other serious injury.

Failure to monitor. Physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists, and other staff must properly monitor a patient for changes in blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and other vital signs. For a pregnant mother, the failure to note a distressed fetal heartbeat or blood glucose levels during pregnancy can lead to birth defects or injury.

A Houston personal injury lawyer who has the knowledge and experience in handling medical malpractice cases can protect your legal rights. Medical malpractice cases are subject to different timelines for filing and to certain requirements before they can be filed. A Houston personal injury lawyer can also ensure that the proper parties are included, all relevant documents obtained, the right medical experts retained, and that you receive the compensation you deserve.