Common Mistakes Physicians Make and How to Avoid Them
Unfortunately, the medical world isn’t perfect. Even with all of our modern-day technology and medicine, mistakes can still happen.
Sometimes, situations make it to where making mistakes is almost unavoidable.
Sometimes, even in a medical situation, it’s possible that there’s just enough chaos to lead to problems—even for doctors and nurses who mean well and are extremely good at their jobs.
So in this blog post, you’re going to learn about some of the most common mistakes that physicians make, along with some tips for how they are generally avoided.
Hopefully, as the years (and medical technologies) progress, we’ll see fewer mistakes and more successful treatments and procedures, thanks to better policies and better awareness of these types of mishaps.
Let’s dive into it.
Contents
1. Infections
Sometimes, when wounds, implements, or even environments are not sterilized properly, infections can occur.
In order for an infection to occur, germs need to enter the body and invade the body’s sensitive tissue. And this can cause those germs to multiply, which starts a reaction inside the body.
The best way for physicians to avoid infections is for them to make sure that everything is always clean and sterilized as much as possible.
This means tools, hands, environments—everything.
2. Misdiagnosis
Researchers estimate that as many as 7.4 misdiagnosis errors happen every year.
It’s also estimated that as a result of these errors, 2.6 million people receive ‘harm’ that could have been prevented.
And sadly, it is also estimated that as many as 370,000 people either die or are permanently disabled due to these errors.
The best way to prevent misdiagnosis errors is for doctors to listen to their patients, avoid assuming specific things about symptoms, and always follow up with available tests to ensure that their diagnosis is correct.
3. Anesthesia Mistakes
Anesthesia mistakes can be very dangerous. Sometimes, they lead to issues like heart attack, asphyxia, damage to the trachea, brain damage, coma, and even death.
The problem with anesthesia is that if the person can’t move or breathe on their own, they’re at the mercy of the medical professionals in their care.
Thus, errors can be very dangerous.
Doctors can help to avoid these types of errors by scanning and processing all of the available information before, during, and after administering an anesthetic.
They can also watch for ‘calls for help’ from the patient and use emergency medical checklists or manuals to help sustain the patient and prevent deterioration.
4. Surgery Errors
Some of the most common surgical errors that happen in the medical field include operating on the wrong patients, operating on the wrong parts of the patient (on the wrong ‘site’), and anesthesia errors.
These types of errors can open up doctors to costly medical lawsuits.
This is also why anesthesiologists tend to make a pretty substantial income—because their job of administering an anesthetic to the patient is so critical to the success of the surgery.
One of the best ways for physicians to avoid these types of errors is to take full responsibility and accountability for double-checking everything before actually performing the procedure.
It’s so crucial that every single detail is double-checked in order to avoid these types of issues.
5. Leaving Things ‘Behind’
Shockingly, sometimes doctors ‘leave things behind’ after they operate.
Some of the most common items that tend to be left behind include things like: clamps, scissors, drain tips, sponges, forceps, scopes, surgical masks, gloves, tubes, etc.
This is extremely dangerous because when objects get left inside of patients after surgery, bacteria and infections can spread and cause even more harm and damage to the patient.
To avoid this, it’s extremely important that physicians use a system of checks and balances to make sure that they double-check during every procedure to make sure that nothing gets left behind or forgotten.
This is not only a very dangerous situation for the patient, but also an extremely dangerous ‘liability’ situation for the doctor.
Conclusion
While the medical field may not be perfect, it’s important for physicians to take all necessary steps to avoid common mistakes that can have serious consequences for their patients.
From infections to misdiagnosis, to surgery errors and leaving objects behind, there are many areas where physicians must be diligent and careful.
By listening to their patients, double-checking everything, and following emergency medical protocols, physicians can help prevent these mistakes and ensure successful treatments and procedures.
As we continue to advance in technology and medicine, it’s important to remain aware of these potential pitfalls and work to improve our policies and procedures to provide the best possible care for patients. So let’s continue to learn from these mistakes and strive towards a better, safer medical future for all.