Medical Malpractice Can Occur in the Lab Too

Jobs in the medical field carry with them a huge amount of responsibility; these professionals are dealing with people's lives and that is of the utmost importance in almost everyone's mind. Doctors and nurses are usually the first people who come to mind when we think of medical professionals, but there are so many more jobs involved in healthcare. One of the often overlooked professionals is the lab technician. Lab techs play a very important role behind the scenes in the health system. They are responsible for preparing and analyzing samples of bodily fluids and/or medical images (from X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, etc.) The results of such tests can paint a clearer picture of diseases and other illnesses going on with the patient. One can see how incredibly important it is that the lab tech produce accurate test results.

Lab techs are often testing a sample to determine whether or not a disease is present. For example, if a lab technician is analyzing a sample to confirm a doctor's suspicion of a serious disease such as cancer, there is a great deal riding on the result. The outcome of the test may be the determining factor as to whether or not the patient will need to have surgery. If the results are mis-analyzed or mis-read, the consequences can be devastating. A patient may undergo unnecessary surgery and also have to deal with the undue stress of believing he is seriously ill. Of course the outcome can be just as dangerous and life shattering if a lab result gives a patient a clean bill of health, when the reality is that she is actually sick. In this case, a disease may go untreated, possibly ending a person's life.

Another potential issue with lab testing is that the sample, image or results may be mixed up with those of another patient. This error could cause a patient to be given the wrong medication or treatment and possibly also have his/her own condition overlooked. To prevent this mistake from occurring, medical staff should verify a patient's details with him at each visit, label samples without delay and while the patient is still present, and issue a lab number and record it on the samples and corresponding paperwork. While there are some government regulations that lab techs are required to follow, they are fairly broad and outdated, so are often interpreted in different ways from lab to lab or person to person.

While there are many checks in place for avoiding mistakes with medical testing, there is still some room for human error. Mistakes do occasionally take place and can have disturbing outcomes. If you or a loved one has been harmed because of an error on the part of a lab technician, it is considered medical malpractice and you should seek the advice of an experienced attorney. We deal with these kinds of cases and would be happy to offer you a free assessment.

The Dallas medical malpractice attorneys at Rasansky Law Firm undertand how to properly deal with your unfortunate situation. Please conatct us or call us at 1-877-405-4313. Together we can put an end to medical negligence and malpractice in America.