The well-touted directive to all physicians is "do no harm" and serves as the basis for the medical ethics by which physicians practice. Yet, doctors are human and are therefore subject to errors that do cause harm, even death. When a patient dies due to medical error, the death is labeled an iatrogenic death. "Iatro" comes from the Greek term "iatros" meaning healer. An iatrogenic death is especially egregious when evidence shows that the death was avoidable and was due to medical negligence or wanton disregard for a patient's wellbeing.
Causes of Iatrogenic Deaths
Studies show that approximately 225,000 deaths a year are attributable to iatrogenic causes. This number may be modest as some iatrogenic deaths go unreported. Some causes for iatrogenic deaths include hospital negligence, surgical error as well as adverse drug reactions.
Hospital Negligence
Hospitals are supposed to be places where one comes to improve one's health, but too often a patient's health is further compromised or diminished due to hospital negligence. Hospital personnel - including physicians and nurses - commit medical errors in a number of ways either by misdiagnosing or failing to diagnose a patient's disease or condition; prescribing or administering wrong medications and/or dosages; or even by passing on staph infections through inadequate hygiene. Approximately 80,000 deaths are attributable to hospital infections alone; in many of these cases, the staph infections are resistant to regular antibiotic regimens.
Surgical Errors
According to 2001 statistics by the Bureau of Justice, nearly 50% of malpractice suits were brought against surgeons in 75 of the country's largest counties. Surgery mistakes are invariably catastrophic and can often lead to death. Wrong site operations, inadvertent injury to other organs, anesthesia errors, and surgical instruments left inside patients are just a few of the horror stories. These types of errors are often avoidable. In the case where an instrument is left inside a patient, the malpractice is obvious.
Adverse Drug Reactions
Patients often die from adverse side effects of prescribed medications. Effects can be local or systemic and can arise from genetic factors or from pre-existing conditions or diseases that change a drug's metabolism. If a physician fails to take an adequate patient history, does not listen to his patient, or does not order sufficient tests, wrong drugs can be prescribed or possible counteractions might not be sufficiently anticipated.
Find an Attorney
If you lost someone due to an iatrogenic death, you may have a viable case of malpractice. An attorney can investigate what error(s), if any, were committed and how it may have lead to the death. Court systems seek to make patients "whole" again, and although death can never be sufficiently compensated, restitution can alleviate some of the financial fallout due to the malpractice. Find an attorney experienced with medical malpractice law in your state.
