Medical staff have a duty to monitor a patient’s vital signs and symptoms to make sure no serious or unexpected changes occur. Patients count on their nurses and doctors to monitor their health and ensure it doesn’t worsen without anyone noticing.
Failure to Monitor Symptoms
- Low oxygen levels are not addressed
- Blood pressure or heart rate changes are ignored
- Increasing confusion or reduced alertness
- Decreased urine output or swelling
- Worsening symptoms without reassessment
What causes a failure to monitor?
Monitoring patients is one of the basics of medical care. But sometimes staff members make mistakes that are often extremely preventable.
Communication breakdowns between shifts or a lack of communication during a shift can lead to poor patient monitoring. That can also lead to staff ignoring the warning signs or experiencing alarm fatigue.
Staffing levels may be insufficient, leading to overworked staff. That can lead to staff missing clear problems with a patient’s vital signs.
Serious injuries that can be caused by a failure to monitor
The results of staff not properly monitoring a patient can be severe. Major complications that aren’t noticed by staff can lead to death. Other serious injuries include heart and breathing issues, sepsis, shock, and brain damage from oxygen loss.
There is no excuse for medical staff not keeping an eye on their patients. Injuries and illnesses caused by care providers’ failure to perform this basic part of their job must not be ignored. You don’t have to fight the hospital or insurance alone.
Weisser Law is an award winning medical malpractice law firm who is here to answer your questions, dig deep into why the staff didn’t provide the proper care, and get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for your free, no-pressure consultation from the trusted, local legal team at Weisser Law.