Tufts Medical Center Patient Dies After Given Incorrect Drug For Surgery
Last year, a patient visited Tufts Medical Center for what was thought to be a brief and simple procedure. The patient visited the medical center to relieve the pain that he had been experiencing from a back injury. The medical staff took the patient into the operating room, where the neurosurgeon requested a special dye. The purpose of the dye was to test the location where tubing needed to be inserted into the spine.
Unfortunately for the patient, the center did not have the dye that was needed and the pharmacy provided another one. When the patient awoke, he had severe pain and seizures. The medical staff eventually determined that an incorrect dye had been given to the patient, which had been causing the pain. Investigators who looked into the incident found out that the dye’s label explicitly warned against use inside the spine.
Following the procedure, the doctor immediately admitted the mistake and told the patient’s family that the patient was administered the wrong dye. Unfortunately, it was too late for the patient, who died the following day. Eight months later, lawyers for the medical center sent a letter denying that the surgeons or the pharmacy negligently caused the patient’s death, despite the doctor admitting the mistake. Nevertheless, the family has filed a lawsuit against the center.
Surgical Error Prompts Changes at Tufts Medical Center
Regrettably, improperly reading drug labels and medical charts occur all the time. Every year, thousands of patients across the United States are injured as a result of these types of mistakes. Tufts Medical Center has adopted new procedures that it hopes will help prevent these types of medical mistakes.
Under the revised operating procedures, surgeons and operating room nurses are required to submit detailed written medication orders to pharmacists. For example, the orders must specify how the medication is to be administered and whether it is intended for use in the spine. Furthermore, when intravenous lines are removed from a patient, two staff members must use a checklist, which includes the proper position of the patient. Therese Hudson-Jinks, vice president of patient care services, commented that more detailed orders will add additional layers of protection for patients.
Brooklyn Doctor Error Lawyers with Industry-Experience
Brooklyn doctor error lawyers can help recover damages due to a medical malpractice case. Medical errors occur far too often. And when they occur, they have can serious and even deadly consequences. If you or someone you know has suffered an injury from a physician or surgeon, the Brooklyn doctor error lawyers at Peters Berger Koshel & Goldberg, P.C. can help you understand and fight for your legal rights. When hospitals and medical providers breach their legal duties, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of wages, and loss of earning capacity.
Contact our Brooklyn doctor error attorneys at 1-800-836-7801 or 718-596-7800 for a free consultation or visit our Brooklyn office to see how our attorneys can help you protect your rights.