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MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
William Landess, CRNA, MS, JD
10 Common Slip-Ups That Can Get You Sued
Yes, mistakes happen, but you can avoid these missteps.
In my experience and in my review of recent malpractice cases, I've seen the same mistakes being made time and again. Here are the top 10 to guard against.
WATCH YOUR STEP
If you study medical malpractice suits, you'll see the same slip-ups over and over.
1. Emergency equipment and rescue drugs aren't always available When you need those things, you need them right now. Even with minor procedures, patients respond differently, so it's paramount in every situation to be completely prepared for an emergency. Take malignant hyperthermia, for example. Keep dantrolene in or very close to the OR, so that it's available immediately if MH occurs. That means having enough people available to handle any emergency, too. The situation is becoming more critical as the scope of procedures being done in ambulatory facilities is widening. A lot of cases shouldn't be done in outpatient settings, but people are pushing the envelope.
2. Training, education and staffing are inadequate Continuous training and educational programs in all areas staff members routinely deal with are critical. Make sure everyone is up to date on all the subspecialties that your facility handles. When the volume of cases gets to the point that there's no time to do in-services, you're asking for trouble.