Recently a young girl was given an IV in the hospital. There was nothing unusual about that—she was passing a kidney stone and in considerable pain. What was unusual, however, was that despite the fact that the emergency room doctor had written all over her medical records that she was allergic to several opiate painkillers, and the fact that the hospital’s computerized records noted in big red letters that she was allergic, she was still given an IV that included opiate-based narcotics. Within hours of receiving the IV, the young lady’s heart stopped beating. Eventually, medical personnel were able to get her heart to start beating again, but she spent 10 days in a coma before she finally woke up. Though she survived the ordeal, because of the damage done to her heart and her electrical system by the cardiac arrest, she now wears a pacemaker and will one day require a heart transplant.
Usually when we use the term accident, we mean something that couldn’t have been prevented or something that cannot be blamed on anyone because it wasn’t really anyone’s fault or intention. However, when a doctor notes on a medical chart that a patient can’t have a certain kind of drug, and when that same information is on all of the medical records and then that drug is given anyway, that is no longer something where no one is to blame. It is a form of medical malpractice, and a medical malpractice attorney should be contacted immediately in such a case. Though it is true that the young lady didn’t die, her life was forever changed in an instant because someone didn’t follow hospital guidelines. It wasn’t just a mistake or an accident, it was negligence. And such negligence occurs from Pittsburgh to Portland.
We trust our doctors and nurses to care for us. We believe that they will always do what is in our best interests. We also know that when they are negligent, the results can be life-altering, if not fatal. If you or someone in Pittsburgh that you care about has experienced negligence at the hands of medical personnel, you know firsthand how devastating it can be. In addition to the physical suffering it can bring, the sense of betrayal is nearly overwhelming. Sometimes even after suffering at the hands of a doctor or nurse, we tend to make excuses for them rather than face the sense of betrayal that follows. However, no one should suffer unnecessarily, especially at the hands of those who are supposed to protect them. No one can undo the horror you’ve endured, but a medical malpractice attorney from the Pittsburgh area can help you to recover the compensation and damages that are due you. Contact a medical malpractice attorney today in order to determine if you have a malpractice case in Pittsburgh.
