In our previous post we covered some of the many things that could happen in hospitals throughout the nation, including those in the Pittsburgh area, which could cause a patient to suffer addition injury during his or her stay. Today we provide additional circumstances in which these could arise.

Errors with medication are another reason that hospital patients are injured during their stay. These medication errors often occur when someone receives the wrong medication or the wrong amount of the right medication. In other instances medications the patient normally takes to treat conditions may not be administered while that person is in the hospital, leading to problems.

Transitions patients go through are also ripe for medical errors being committed. These can occur when multiple doctors and nurses provide care. If the handoffs are not well coordinated, injuries can ensue. Similarly, the transition from hospital to a patient's home can be a problem if the patient is not ready to go home or does not understand what needs to be done to take care of him or herself.

Sometimes injuries occur due to physical conditions present in the hospital. There may be problems with the equipment being used in the hospital. In other cases a patient will be hurt when he or she is the victim of an incident that should never occur. These are known as "never events" and range from objects being left inside of a patient during a surgery to air bubbles in catheters.

When someone is injured due to any of the things discussed in this post or our previous post, it is possible that the injured party could see monetary compensation via a medical malpractice lawsuit. In addition to providing money that could be needed to help pay for the resulting medical issues, in holding someone responsible, many often find a sense of closure.

Source: Huffington Post, "10 Things That Can Kill You in the Hospital," Leana Wen, M.D., April 3, 2013