When Can Dialysis Negligence Lead to a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?
Thurswell Law has been successfully handling negligent dialysis cases since 1968, obtaining large monetary compensation. Dialysis can be a lifesaving treatment for people whose kidneys are no longer able to adequately remove waste and excess fluid from the body. Yet, dialysis at the same time is a complex medical treatment that requires careful monitoring, specialized equipment, and experienced healthcare professionals. When healthcare providers fail to provide appropriate care, a dialysis patient can certainly suffer a serious injury or even death. At Thurswell Law we understand how important it is to examine what happens when a patient suffers a serious complication during or following a dialysis treatment.
How Can Negligent Dialysis Care Cause Harm?
Improper Fluid Removal
One of the most important parts of dialysis is removing excess fluid from the patient’s blood. If too much fluid is removed too quickly, a patient may experience a dangerous drop in blood pressure and other serious complications. If too little fluid is removed, the patient may continue to experience problems associated with excess fluid. It is vital that healthcare providers carefully assess the patient’s condition and monitor them throughout treatment.
Key medical terms:
Ultrafiltration (UF), fluid removal, dry weight, fluid overload, intradialytic hypotension (IDH), hypotension, pulmonary edema.
Failure to Monitor or Respond to a Patient’s Condition
Dialysis patients can experience changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and other vital signs during treatment. A healthcare provider may be negligent if they fail to properly recognize warning signs or fail to respond when a patient’s condition begins to decline.
Key medical terms:
Blood pressure (BP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), vital signs, hemodynamic instability, altered mental status, tachycardia, bradycardia, intradialytic hypotension, rapid response, code blue, cardiac arrest, hypoxia, hypotension, arrhythmia, emergency intervention, escalation of care.
Problems With Dialysis Access
Dialysis requires reliable access to a patient’s bloodstream, often through an arteriovenous fistula, graft, or catheter. Problems involving dialysis can include infection, bleeding, clotting, damage to blood vessels, or other complications. Healthcare providers have a responsibility to properly evaluate and monitor the access site and respond appropriately when something appears wrong. Research examining dialysis-related malpractice litigation has found that vascular-access complications were among the most common issues involved in the cases studied.
Key medical terms:
Vascular access, AV fistula, AVF, AV graft, AVG, central venous catheter (CVC), tunneled catheter, catheter malfunction, infiltration, stenosis, thrombosis, poor blood flow, cannulation.
Infection
Dialysis patients often can be susceptible to serious infections. Especially when a catheter or other vascular access is involved. Failure to recognize signs of infection, properly care for an access site, or appropriately respond to an infection can potentially allow a serious infection to progress.
Key medical terms:
Bacteremia, sepsis, bloodstream infection (BSI), catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), infection, cellulitis, abscess, fever, blood cultures, Staphylococcus aureus (staph).
Medication Errors
Dialysis patients may take multiple medications and may require medications specifically related to their dialysis treatment. Administering the wrong medication or dose, failing to account for a patient’s condition, or failing to recognize an adverse reaction can lead to serious damage to the patient.
Key medical terms:
Medication reconciliation, medication omission, dosing error, adverse drug reaction, anticoagulation, heparin, drug interaction, medication administration.
Equipment or Treatment Errors
Dialysis depends on specialized machines and equipment. Healthcare providers must be properly trained and must use the equipment appropriately. Errors involving dialysis equipment, treatment settings, or the dialysis process can potentially expose patients to serious risks.
Key medical terms:
Dialyzer, dialysate, dialysis circuit, blood pump, dialysate flow rate, blood flow rate, treatment prescription, machine alarm, circuit clotting, air embolism, blood loss.
When Can Dialysis Negligence Become Medical Malpractice?
Not every complication during dialysis is malpractice. Complications can occur even when appropriate care is provided. A potential medical malpractice case may arise when a healthcare provider’s treatment falls below the applicable standard of care and that negligence causes or contributes to the patient’s injury or death. Determining whether that happened often requires a careful review of the patient’s medical and dialysis records, as well as an evaluation by appropriate medical experts.
If You or a Loved One Was Harmed During Dialysis
Dialysis can save lives, but negligent care can have devastating consequences. If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury, infection, dangerous complication, or death during or following dialysis, you may be left wondering whether something could have been done differently. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can review the medical and dialysis records, investigate the circumstances surrounding the injury or death, and determine whether negligent care may have played a role.
If you believe you or your loved one was harmed by negligent dialysis care, contact our legal team immediately to discuss your situation and learn about your legal options.
