Allergens and their relation to medical malpractice

Louisiana residents trust doctors and medical staff with their lives. Unfortunately, there are instances in which negligence can bring a patient into harm’s way. Today, we examine how allergens are tied to medical malpractice.

FindLaw examines some common examples of medical negligence or malpractice, which can take many different forms, affecting people in numerous ways and to various degrees. In general, it’s considered any situation in which a medical emergency occurs that could have been avoided or prevented with proper attention.

In terms of allergens, this means one of two things:

• An allergy was already known and was not properly avoided
• Allergies were not tested for when they could have been present, and an allergic reaction subsequently occurred

There are plenty of examples of allergies resulting in medical negligence cases being opened. One example involves a penicillin allergy that The Journal of Family Practice reported. In this case, an 18-month-old child died of anaphylaxis after a second return to the emergency room. She was administered a drug known to have cross-reactions with penicillin, which she had been discovered to be allergic to the day before. The staff member who ordered the administration did not check her chart to note any allergies ahead of giving the shot.

Not all cases of medical malpractice lead to death, but many can result in severe injury that have lasting impacts on a person’s life. For this reason, medical negligence cases are often pursued in order to get compensation for loss of wages, emotional trauma, and more.