When you get ready to go under for surgery, your worries may not initially include the surgeon or doctor getting distracted while performing important medical tasks.
Since this kind of malpractice can leave you with lasting physical complications, it is important to know why this happens and what kinds of common distractions there are.
Interruptions during counting
According to the National Library of Medicine, staff and doctors should always count what items they use before and after surgery. This is to make sure that they do not leave a sponge or small surgical item inside you during the procedure.
If another person or a machine causes the staff to look away or become confused in the middle of this process, it can leave items unaccounted for.
Startling noises
Surgery requires an attentive room without any sudden noises or loud sounds. When another person yells into the room or tries to get the attention of some of the staff, it can break the doctor’s concentration.
There are many steps to even some of the most straightforward surgeries. The more frequent the interruptions, the more likely they will impact the end result of the surgery.
Broken or forgotten equipment
If a surgeon is in the middle of a procedure, a missing piece of equipment or an unclean scalpel can leave the staff scrambling to find a replacement. During this confusion, simple mistakes can greatly impact you.
Any unexpected verbal exchanges with the staff can also make a surgeon forget details they were trying to keep in mind. Learning about how distractions can cause errors can help you determine what steps to take next after medical malpractice.
