Almost everyone has experienced the sensation of sleep deprivation at some point in their lives. Whether it is a new parent kept awake by a crying baby or an employee working a double shift, not getting enough sleep can be miserable. However, when the sleep deprived person is a doctor or surgeon, the effects of sleep deprivation can be catastrophic. Medical mistakes caused by sleep deprived medical professionals can lead to significant patient injuries and even death.

Medical Errors Caused by Doctor Fatigue

Studies show that doctors who have not slept are much more likely to make medical errors. One study found that junior doctors working a 34-hour shift were over 400 percent more likely to make a diagnostic mistake. Another study found that moderate sleep deprivation caused a 53 percent increase in serious medical errors while significant sleep deprivation caused a 97 percent increase in medical errors.

Inadequate sleep causes emotional dysregulation, diminished concentration, reduced attention, decreased vigilance, and impaired ability to perform cognitive tasks. Unfortunately, it is often the patients who suffer the most from doctors’ sleep deprivation. Doctors and surgeons who are too sleepy to perform their job correctly may ignore crucial patient symptoms, prescribe the wrong medication, or physically injure the patient during a procedure. The effects of medical errors can range from mild discomfort to life-threatening injuries.

Approximately two-thirds of U.S. adults are on one or more prescription medications. Statins, ACE inhibitors, beta-agonists, and opioids are some of the most commonly prescribed medications. When people are prescribed a medication from a doctor, they assume the medication is safe and effective. They assume that the pharmacy that provides the medication has carefully checked the medication and provided the correct drug in the correct dosage.

Unfortunately, prescription medication mistakes are not uncommon. One issue that leads to a surprising number of medication errors is sound-alike or look-alike medications.

Sound Alike Medications Can Lead to Deadly Mistakes

When an individual receives the wrong medication, they may not realize when they initially take the medication. It is only after they begin suffering from worsened symptoms, side effects, drug interactions, or other adverse consequences that they realize something is wrong.

Anesthesia has revolutionized modern medicine and made it possible for millions of people to undergo surgery pain-free. Unfortunately, anesthesia is also not without risk. Negligent medical providers who make anesthesia mistakes can cause devastating and fatal injuries. If you or someone you care about was harmed by an anesthesia mistake, you may be able to take legal action against the responsible party.

Medical Negligence During Surgery

Any surgical procedure carries some risk. However, competent medical providers can mitigate this risk to almost zero. Unfortunately, understaffing, inadequate training and education, poor communication, and simple carelessness increase the chances of surgical complications tremendously.

Anesthesia malpractice can occur for nearly countless reasons, including:

An Illinois mother may not be able to give birth vaginally to her infant for many reasons. The infant’s head may be too large, the infant may be in breech position, or the mother may suffer from serious health complications. Whatever the reason, a cesarean section or “c-section” can save the lives of the mother and the infant.

C-sections are on the rise, and many of them appear to have no necessary medical reason. C-section deliveries can be very risky because they involve complex surgical maneuvers in critical areas of a mother’s body. Even a seemingly minor surgical error or mistake can put the life of a mother or her infant at risk. If you have been injured because of a poorly conducted c-section, this blog may be helpful to you. 

Is a C-Section Mistake Medical Negligence? 

Doctors have a serious responsibility to practice medicine according to an established legal standard of care. Medicine is not always exact, and unavoidable mistakes can happen. But when a mistake is the result of a surgeon who fails to act reasonably or carefully and a patient is injured or killed, that surgeon may have committed medical malpractice. 

Anyone going into surgery is understandably nervous. While the majority of surgeries are completed successfully, surgical errors do occur. Some surgical mistakes are so terrible, they should never happen. Unfortunately, these so-called “never events” can and do occur. One study reported that approximately 4000 never events occur each year in the United States. Often, these egregious surgical mistakes lead to catastrophic injuries and fatalities. If you or a loved one were a victim of a severe surgical error, contact a medical malpractice lawyer for help.

Surgical Mistakes Can Lead to Profound Suffering

No one expects surgeons, doctors, and other medical staff to be perfect, but we do expect a certain degree of competency. Unfortunately, medical professionals do not always meet these expectations.

In 2001, the term “never event” was first used in reference to extreme surgical mistakes. These types of mistakes are unacceptable and should never happen. Some examples of never events include: