New York City Blood Transfusion Injury Lawyer
A blood transfusion allows a patient’s blood supply to be replenished, ensuring a steady supply of oxygen to the body while also keeping the patient alive. Blood transfusions are very common and approximately five million people throughout the United States receive them every year. Unfortunately, even in the most routine procedures, mistakes can happen. When an error occurs during a blood transfusion, a patient can suffer the most severe consequences. Below, our New York City blood transfusion injury lawyer explains the most common types of mistakes and the injuries that result from them.
Common Blood Transfusion Errors
Medical professionals must follow certain procedures during any procedure, including blood transfusions. When these procedures are not followed, serious complications can occur. The most common errors to happen during blood transfusions are as follows:
- Administration mistakes: There are many mistakes that can occur when a blood transfusion is administered. A healthcare professional may use the wrong type of needle, administer the blood into the wrong part of the body, or give a patient too little or too much blood.
- Storage mistakes: In order for blood to be safely administered to patients, it must be labeled and stored properly. Blood that has been mishandled or improperly labeled can result in patients receiving the wrong blood type, or receiving blood that has been infected or contaminated.
- Staff communication errors: A number of different mistakes can happen when healthcare facilities are understaffed or staff members are not trained properly. These issues often result in communication mistakes, such as misidentifying blood samples. Healthcare professionals must communicate properly at all times to prevent mistakes from happening.
- Assessing patients improperly: Healthcare facilities may confuse one patient for another, or fail to properly assess a patient’s medical history. This could result in a patient receiving the wrong blood type, or blood that is otherwise incompatible.
Any time an error is made during a blood transfusion, it can result in serious injuries.
Injuries Caused by Blood Transfusion Errors
When blood transfusion errors occur, patients can sustain very serious injuries that have life-long impacts. Some of the most common injuries caused by blood transfusion errors are as follows:
- Infections caused by contaminated blood, such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C,
- Acute hemolytic transfusion reaction, which occurs when a patient’s antibodies destroy blood cells, resulting in blood clotting, stroke, anaphylactic shock, and kidney failure,
- Hypothermia,
- Iron overload,
- Nerve damage,
- Pulmonary embolisms,
- Amputation, and
- Wrongful death.
If you suffered any of the above injuries or others and believe it was due to medical negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses.
Our Blood Transfusion Injury Lawyer in New York City Can Determine Liability
It is not always easy to determine if a blood transfusion injury was caused by negligence. At Michael Gunzburg, P.C., our New York City blood transfusion injury lawyer can review the facts of your case, determine if negligence occurred, and hold the appropriate party liable for paying the damages you deserve. Call us today at 212-725-8500 or chat with us online to schedule a consultation and to get more information.
