Youngstown OH Medical Malpractice Law Blog

A recent study concluded that several medical errors in Ohio, errors committed in the form of adverse drug events, or an error with medication, could be prevented if doctors were to make the switch to electronic writing of prescriptions rather than continuing with antiquated hand-written prescriptions.

The study concluded that there was a significantly less likelihood that the doctor would commit an error if they were selecting the prescription from a drop down menu. 7 per 100 prescriptions were found to have errors when selected electronically, versus 37 out of 100 when hand-written. These statistics do not even count for the incidents when the pharmacist could not read the writing and had to call the doctor. However, even such situations can cause a delay and be detrimental to the patient.

Ohio residents take for granted that there is little to no danger in undergo routine surgical procedures. Sadly, such procedures are where medical mistakes are most frequently made.

A 17-year old high school student recently died following a wisdom teeth surgical extraction. During the surgery the girl's heart rate began to decrease as she was likely being deprived of oxygen. The autopsy report listed her as a "healthy teenager with no significant medical history," but she died soon after the surgery due to acute brain injury.

The mother of two went to the doctor with a severe headache and dangerously elevated blood pressure. The doctor assuaged her worries and told her it was just a migraine. He prescribed some medication for the pain and sent her on her way. It wasn't a migraine; it was a brain bleed resulting from high levels of steroids the mother was prescribed as a treatment for her scoliosis.

The next morning the woman woke up without the pain in her head -- and without any sensation in her entire right side or the ability to speak. She was rushed to the hospital and for a while he husband reports he was unsure as to whether his wife would pull through after this debilitating doctor error the left her with a brain injury.

Last month, we detailed in a post the case of a 14-year-old Ohio teen with cerebral palsy that starved to death after parental and nurse negligence. The neglectful care led to the suffering of the teen in a very prolonged death. The poor girl had bed sores and weighted only 28 pounds at her time of death last March. Additionally, a surviving sibling of the teen was also found to be malnourished.

Reportedly, one nurse was hired to work six days a week to assist the girl's mother in care. Another nurse that has been charged with the death was hired to check up on the girl, her care and her living conditions every 30-60 days. Additionally, the third nurse was to assist the girl and examine her health as well every six months. It seems absurd that this Ohio teen starved to death when there were this many people responsible for her care.