July is the most Dangerous Month for Hospital Patients

Many people who go into the hospital expect to receive the best care possible. However, unbeknownst to them, depending on what time of the year that they are admitted they may be more prone to being injured as a result of a doctor’s negligence. July is the month when brand new doctors begin working full-time in hospitals all across the country. It is also the time when the more experienced residents hand over their patients and move on to the next stage of their career, often leaving the hospital altogether to pursue other ventures.

Recently, the University of California in San Francisco sifted through thirty-nine studies to determine if it was in fact more dangerous to go into the hospital during July. Their report shows that some of the various studies reported a four percent increase in the amount of patient deaths in July, while others noted that there was a stark 12 percent increase.

One of the major causes for this increase is the influx of new doctors who, while graduated from medical school, are now completing their on-site training, which in many ways is more comprehensive and rigorous than medical school.

How Common is Hospital Negligence in Arkansas?

Every month around 15,000 people are seriously injured in hospitals due to some form of preventable medical mistake and or negligence on the part of the doctors or the staff according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In 2011, the HHS launched a patient safety initiative in an effort to reduce injuries that occurred in hospitals. In addition, the HHS sought to reduce the number of illnesses and diseases that patients acquired while they were in the hospital. A staggering one in seven Medicare patients experienced some form of unintended harm that prolonged their hospital stays, caused permanent injuries, or resulted in death after receiving hospital treatments, costing over $4.4 billion dollars in additional health care costs. This made the HHS considered this an epidemic and something that needed to be addressed immediately. Common hospital acquired conditions caused by hospital negligence include air embolism, blood incompatibility, pressure ulcers or bed sores, catheter infections, and blood clots. These conditions can result in serious illnesses and death.

Emergency room mistakes and negligence can also cause permanent disabilities, illness, and wrongful death. The average wait to see a doctor or nurse in an emergency room is over three hours. Certain conditions like oxygen deprivation, infections, heart attacks, stroke, and spinal cord injuries may become substantially worse and more devastating with every passing minute.  A two year old toddler had to have her feet and hand amputated after she waited over five hours in an emergency room to be seen by a doctor. By the time a doctor saw her, her strep infection overwhelmed her body and she had gone into liver failure. If this innocent toddler hadn’t had to wait so long, and if a doctor or nurse identified the severity of her infection sooner, this little girl would not have been left permanently disabled. Hospital emergency rooms are so overcrowded that many seriously ill patients are sent home after seeing a doctor for only a few minutes, and without having sufficient diagnostic tests performed. Many of these patients will later be admitted to a hospital after they have suffered far worse consequences of their illness or injury than should have been necessary.

Rely on Experienced Fayetteville Personal Injury Lawyer Ken Kieklak

If you have suffered a slip and fall injury, contact the Fayetteville AR personal injury lawyer Ken Kieklak. We stand up for Arkansans who have suffered a catastrophic injury or wrongful death. To schedule your free and confidential consultation call (479) 316-0438 or contact us online.