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If you have suffered because of medical malpractice or because a healthcare provider failed to prioritize your health and safety, our attorneys may be able to help you and your family obtain compensation. In cases of medical malpractice, there are countless mistakes a doctor, nurse, physician's assistant or other healthcare provider can make. One of these mistakes may be related to alarm fatigue. A recent report indicates many healthcare providers are suffering from alarm fatigue, an emerging problem in the medical community. Failure to respond to an alarm can result in serious medical complications or even death.
The FDA reports more than 500 alarm-related patient deaths occurred between 2005 and 2010. Improper and incorrect alarm settings and malfunctions with heart beat monitors and other similar devices contributed to injury and deaths. The FDA indicates inadequate training and understaffing also contributed to catastrophic patient injuries and deaths.
In a hospital, convalescent facility, group home or similar location, there are innumerable alarms, beeps, signals and other sounds emanating from countless electronic medical monitors and other machines. Nurses and other staff may either become oblivious to the sounds or the sounds may become indistinguishable. What is an essential alarm becomes confused with an alarm that is merely part of the machine's normal operation. Such mistakes can lead to patient injuries and even wrongful death.
Because alarm fatigue has garnered significant attention recently, action has been taken. But, despite new safety guidelines, alarm fatigue may lead to injury and deaths. Healthcare providers are encouraged to take the issue seriously, address training issues, eliminate unnecessary alarms, and, when introducing new medical devices, consider how alarms will interact with one another. Healthcare providers must acknowledge that this is a growing problem.
If an alarm is not responded to in a timely way, a patient's needs may go unacknowledged, causing serious repercussions or death. If you believe this or any other type of mistake or negligence contributed to your family's legal and medical struggles, reach out to our lawyers.
Determining the exact cause of medical malpractice requires a diligent legal team with the resources to conduct a thorough independent evaluation of the facts. We have the resources to investigate events involving alarm fatigue. Contact us to determine how we may be able to represent you.