When a patient is under the care of a physician and medical staff, the patient must be monitored closely to ensure no complications take place. Failure to monitor a patient under the care of a healthcare provider is considered negligence.
A doctor’s failure to monitor a patient can result in devastating consequences like severe adverse reactions, compromised health issues, or death. Taking preventive measures, such as monitoring, is crucial to a patient’s well-being and ensures the medical facility avoids liability issues.
If you or your family member has been a victim of medical malpractice due to the negligence of medical professionals, you should seek representation. Contact our Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC office for a free consultation with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys.
Call our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers at (888) 424-5757, and our law firm will schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.
When the Medical Team Fails to Monitor a Patient’s Condition
Monitoring a patient who has a severe condition or is undergoing surgery is crucial for ensuring their health remains stable. There are different situations where a doctor must monitor patients and follow proper protocols to avoid life=threatening problems.
Below are some common situations where close monitoring is vital for a patient.
Administering Anesthesia and Monitoring Patient’s Vital Signs
Anesthesiologists must monitor their patients after administering anesthesia to ensure there are no adverse reactions. If there are any anesthesia errors, such as administering an improper dosage that the patient’s vital signs could result in severe health problems or death.
When a Patient Undergoes Surgery
Doctors need to monitor a patient’s vitals, such as body temperature, heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. A patient needs to be monitored before, during, and after surgery to ensure there are no complications.
During Labor and Delivery
Labor and delivery complications are common situations that are reported as medical malpractice. Doctors must properly monitor the vital signs of the unborn child and mother.
The baby’s heart rate is an essential indicator of stress. Monitoring the baby closely can help avoid complications such as issues with the umbilical cord, or other birth injuries.
Inpatient Care Settings
If a patient is admitted to a hospital or inpatient care facility, a doctor has determined that monitoring is necessary. The doctor and staff must monitor a patient during their time at the facility for any signs of complications to prevent injuries.
Following Up With a Patient
Following up with a patient after surgery or treatment will allow the doctor to address any complications or issues that a patient may be experiencing. Otherwise, a patient’s condition may worsen or result in additional complications.
Nursing Home Care
Nursing home residents are usually elderly or disabled. Their bodies and immune systems are more fragile and prone to catastrophic injury. A healthcare provider’s failure to monitor residents in this setting is considered nursing home negligence.
Medical Negligence Involving a Failure to Monitor
The failure to monitor the situations listed above is common in medical malpractice cases. Many problems can occur that also show negligence in failing to monitor a patient’s health.
Other examples of failure to monitor a patient include:
- Failure to review a patient’s medical chart to monitor all medications and testing administered
- Failure to monitor and review tests
- Failure to closely monitor prescription drugs
- Failure to review a patient’s medical history
- Discharging a patient from the hospital too early where staff can no longer identify and problems like an adverse reaction to medications
Potential Consequences of Failure to Monitor
Monitoring patients closely is vital for preventing any serious injuries, conditions, or even death from occurring. There is a range of potential consequences that vary due to the patient’s condition and the type of medical treatment being administered.
One example of a severe consequence is when a doctor fails to monitor labor and delivery. This negligence can result in a serious injury to the baby and mother.
Another situation that requires close monitoring is after a patient has undergone surgery. A patient can develop an infection, and if hospital staff fails to properly monitor, the patient’s condition may worsen.
A hospital’s failure to monitor patients can also lead to serious injury or complications such as internal bleeding, blood clots, breathing issues, and heart problems.
Who Is Held Accountable in Failure to Monitor Lawsuits
The doctor who oversees the patient is the party who is primarily responsible for failing to monitor. Because a doctor is customarily assisted with monitoring by other nurses and staff, there may be multiple parties that can be held legally responsible.
Doctors and staff have been trained on the importance of monitoring and treating patients. They must be held liable for failure to monitor patients because this negligence puts lives at risk.
The following are examples of parties that can be held responsible:
- The patient’s primary doctor
- Obstetrician or midwife
- The surgeon who performed a medical procedure
- The anesthesiologist
- Nurses who are monitoring and caring for a patient
- Hospitals and other medical facilities where the patient is receiving treatment
- Hospital staff
- Physical therapist and physical therapy staff
- Dentist
The mentioned healthcare providers may be held responsible in medical malpractice lawsuits depending on the factors involved. A patient’s health and life are at risk when not carefully monitored.
The Duty of Health Care Providers
Medical providers must follow the standard of care by monitoring patients. When a physician agrees to treat a patient, they enter a doctor-patient relationship.
The physician now has a legal duty to provide medical treatment consistent with the medical standard of care. If you or a loved one was hurt due to medical negligence of medical staff failing to monitor, you might have a medical malpractice case.
An experienced attorney will be able to review your case and medical records to give you options on how to seek financial recovery for you and your family.
Contact an Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney
There are life-threatening consequences when hospital staff or the attending physicians fail to properly monitor a patient. The victim and their family suffer greatly from medical negligence.
If you have been hurt due to the negligence of any health care providers, you need to speak with an experienced medical malpractice attorney. You may be able to recover compensation for past and future damages, pain and suffering, a decline in quality of life, and lost wages from time away from work while healing.
Our Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC law firm has decades of experience handling serious, complex personal injury cases. We will provide you with the best possible representation.
Call our law firm at (888) 424-5757 for a free case evaluation with one of our medical malpractice attorneys. We look forward to answering any questions during your free consultation.
All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
