There are many different types of medical malpractice out there. They all have an adverse effect on patients, but which types of malpractice are most common? Read on to find out about these 5 common types of malpractice and the impact they have.

Misdiagnosis

Missing a problem with a patient and diagnosing it as something it’s not is not uncommon. In some cases, this can be very damaging to the patient though. If they are not given the care they need as a result of a misdiagnosis, the condition they have could get worse. This often leads to people getting compensation for the extra damage that has unnecessarily been done to them as a result. This can’t undo the damage that has been done by them not being able to get the right treatment in a timely manner though.

Injuries in Childbirth

If medical malpractice takes place during the delivery of a child, injuries can be caused to the baby or the mother. Even things like failing to identify a birth defect or an illness in the mother that could affect things later on can count as malpractice. Of course, many injuries can be caused by natural things, but malpractice does occur. If you are not sure about something that happened to you, it’s probably best to talk to a malpractice attorney. They’ll be able to advise you with regards to your next step.

Anesthesia Errors

Before a patient goes for a surgical operation, they are given an anesthetic. For bigger operations, this will be a general anesthetic in which the patient is put to sleep for the length of the operation. These kinds of mistakes can even be more damaging than mistakes that take place during the surgery. In the worst cases, there can be damage caused to the brain, and people can even be killed. They are very rare, but the effects of even a small mistake can be very large for the patient.

Surgical Mistakes

There are all kinds of horror stories associated with surgical procedures gone wrong. Sometimes, surgeons even carry out the wrong procedure or operate on the wrong part of the body. Of course, instances like this are very rare, but they do happen. Other things like causing damage during the procedure and leaving equipment in the body can also happen. When mistakes like this happen, the effect can vary. Sometimes, it’s an annoyance, and other times, it can be very damaging to the patient.

Incorrect Prescriptions

The effects of a doctor giving a patient the wrong medication to take can be devastating. They might prescribe the patient too much or the wrong kind of medication, and this happens too often. For some people, the effects might not be very bad at all. But it can cause serious harm to some people. If someone was given medication to thin the blood and they had a heart condition, the wrong kind of medication could bring on a heart attack. It’s serious issues like this that bring about malpractice proceedings.