New Jersey Preoperative Clearance Failure Attorneys
Healthcare providers have a responsibility to determine if a patient is a suitable candidate for any proposed surgical procedure, or, if any special precautions should be taken prior to and/or during surgery. Not only must a patient’s condition warrant the performance of a procedure, but, their overall health must allow for the surgery to be performed without undue risk of harm. It is, therefore, essential that healthcare providers ascertain a patient’s health status prior to the performance of surgical procedures. Preoperative testing (also commonly called “preadmission testing”) is integral to the necessary evaluation of a patient prior to undergoing surgery. A failure to properly and timely evaluate a patient to assess whether or not they are an appropriate candidate for surgery may constitute medical negligence or malpractice, and, can result in serious injury to a patient, or, even death.
Some typical examples of Preoperative or Preadmission testing include but are not limited to:
- Blood work
- Urinalysis
- Chest X-ray
- EKG (electrocardiogram)
- MRI or CT Scans
- Echocardiogram
- Determination of sensitivity to products used during surgery (e.g., latex or medications)
On occasion, preadmission testing can reveal other medical conditions, such as malignancies, which require prompt follow up by the ordering physicians. In addition, healthcare providers must take into consideration, and, recognize the significance of, the patient’s past medical and social history (e.g., prior history of surgery, trauma, infection, tobacco & alcohol use, anesthesia and medication reactions, etc.), as these factors may play a role in a patient’s surgical outcome.
Blume Goldfaden NJ medical negligence lawyers and medical staff have the experience and expertise to determine if there were departures from medical standards in a patient’s preoperative testing, or, if their clearance for surgery was inappropriate. Please call us for an evaluation at no cost to you.