“Never” events in a surgical setting encompass things that patients shouldn’t ever have to deal with because following a medical provider’s “best practices” should simply prevent these. Several events fall under this category. People who are having surgery and those who have already had a procedure done should know about these.
All of the never events are very serious. They include things like giving a patient blood that’s incompatible or operating on the wrong body part. Leaving surgical supplies in the patient and giving the patient incorrect medications are also never events.
In the most serious cases, never events can lead to death. When the patient does survive, they might have very serious life effects. This can lead to considerable financial trouble. If the patient passes away, the family members have the final expenses to think about. They might also have to deal with the loss of income, which can also impact a family if the patient lives and can’t return to work.
Hospitals, surgical centers and doctors’ offices should have clear procedures to help prevent never events. These might include having procedures and patient information verified several times before surgery. Counting and recording surgical items can help to prevent anything from being left in the patient.
When a patient experiences a never event, they’ll likely to need more medical care to correct the resulting issues. For example, a retained surgical instrument would require another surgery to remove it. This places the patient in a difficult spot. They might opt to seek compensation for the damages they have to deal with, including the emotional turmoil that comes with this situation.
If you’ve experienced a never event or a family member has suffered from medical malpractice, find out more about your legal rights.
