The Law Office Of David W. HolubThe Law Office Of David W. Holub

The Law Office Of David W. HolubThe Law Office Of David W. Holub

Inexcusable Medical Errors

An organization known as the National Quality Forum lists things that should never happen as part of a surgical procedure, or otherwise in the provision of medical care.

  • Unintended retention of a foreign body in a patient after surgery or other procedure
  • Patient death or serious disability associated with patient elopement (disappearance)
  • Patient death or serious disability associated with a medication error (e.g., errors involving the wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong patient, wrong time, wrong rate, wrong preparation or wrong route of administration
  • Patient death or serious disability associated with a hemolytic reaction due to the administration of incompatible blood or blood products
  • Patient death or serious disability associated with a fall while being cared for in a healthcare facility
  • Surgery performed on the wrong body part
  • Surgery performed on the wrong patient
  • Wrong surgical procedure performed on a patient
  • Patient death or serious disability associated with the use of contaminated drugs, devices, or biologics provided by the healthcare facility
  • Patient death or serious disability associated with intravascular air embolism that occurs while being cared for in a healthcare facility
  • Infant discharged to the wrong person
  • Patient suicide, or attempted suicide resulting in serious disability, while being cared for in a healthcare facility
  • Maternal death or serious disability associated with labor or delivery in a low-risk pregnancy while being cared for in a health care facility
  • Patient death or serious disability associated with hypoglycemia, the onset of which occurs while the patient is being cared for in a healthcare facility
  • Death or serious disability (kernicterus) associated with failure to identify and treat hyperbilirubinemia in neonates
  • Stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcers acquired after admission to a healthcare facility
  • Patient death or serious disability due to spinal manipulative therapy
  • Any incident in which a line designated for oxygen or other gas to be delivered to a patient contains the wrong gas or is contaminated by toxic substances
  • Patient death or serious disability associated with a burn incurred from any source while being cared for in a healthcare facility
  • Patient death or serious disability associated with the use of restraints or bedrails while being cared for in a healthcare facility
  • Any instance of care ordered by or provided by someone impersonating a physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other licensed healthcare provider
  • Sexual assault on a patient within or on the grounds of the healthcare facility
  • Death or significant injury of a patient or staff member resulting from a physical assault (i.e., battery) that occurs within or on the grounds of the healthcare facility

If any of these events have happened to you or a loved one, please seek legal assistance. Please call our toll free number for an appointment today.