Emergency
room physicians and other healthcare personnel operate under
strict sets of guidelines and directives, both of the hospital,
and most importantly, pursuant to the standards of emergency
and trauma care medicine accepted within the emergency medical
care community. These standards must be maintained in assessing
and implementing the mode and timing of emergency treatment.
If contraindicated treatment is rendered, or an incorrect
diagnosis made, that would constitute medical malpractice,
which could result in a patient dying or suffering significant
injury.
In the
practice of emergency medicine, seconds may make a difference
between life and death, or significant permanent injury.
In an emergency room setting, or at the scene of an accident,
the first hour after the trauma or medical event is known
as “the golden hour”. It is widely believed
that during this hour, the efficacy of treatment is greatly
enhanced., this of course depending upon the level of trauma
or the patient’s condition from which they suffer
(e.g., stroke or heart attack). If treatment is delayed,
the likelihood that it will be ineffective, or not as effective,
will increase. Essentially, it is an accepted premise, that
the sooner the treatment commences, the better the prognosis
and outcome. Accordingly, undue delays in emergency medical
treatment may constitute malpractice.
Blume
Goldfaden attorneys and medical staff have the experience
and expertise to determine if a patient’s emergency
treatment was delayed or incorrect, and if such malpractice
resulted in an injury for which damages may be recovered.
Call us for an evaluation at no cost to you.