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It is human nature
to trust that physicians and other health care professionals are giving us
the information and treatment that will help us remain healthy, and a vast
majority of the time, that is true. But sometimes taking a doctor's advice
without obtaining sufficient information can lead to negative, and sometimes
dire, outcomes.
The following are true case stories of patients who were victims of health
care mistakes.
Medication Error Has Fatal
Consequences One day, Frank was admitted to his local hospital with
breathing difficulties. To properly diagnose and treat his condition,
Frank's doctor ordered a routine series of treatments, tests and medication.
After a few days in the hospital, Frank's recovery had progressed steadily,
but he still wasn't strong enough to return home. Arrangements were made to
admit him to a skilled nursing facility for continued care and
convalescence. Find out more in the
full story. We'll Call You Bill had a minor procedure performed to remove a
small growth from his back. The procedure took only minutes, and his
physician told Bill, who had just turned 19, that the biopsy results would
probably be negative and the growth determined to be benign. The physician's
final words to Bill following the procedure were, "We'll call you if there
are any concerns."
Find out more in the
full story.
The Pharmacist's Nightmare
It was about 3 p.m. when I found out the nursing home staff needed to
speak with me right away. They were organizing a new patient's medication
and could not read the order sheet. That morning, the patient had been
transferred to the facility from the hospital where I was director of Social
Services.
Apparently, the nursing staff at the facility could not reach the doctor who
wrote the medication orders because he had already left town for the
weekend. His associate had not returned their phone calls, and the facility
pharmacist wanted to settle the matter before going home.
Find out more in the
full story.
Listen To Rose I was standing outside the office of Rose, a nurse
who schedules surgery for the hospital. She was speaking to a patient, and
her voice was clear and firm. "Don't do it," she told the patient.
When Rose saw that I was within earshot of her conversation, she smiled and
shook her head at the telephone. Again, I heard her say, "Don't do it." This
time, her voice was stronger and even more convincing (or so I thought) than
the first time. "If it were me," she continued, "I would not
have the surgery. I don't think you have considered all the options."
Find out more in the
full story. |
