Maryland Kidney Dialysis Errors Lawyer
Hundreds of thousands of people in the United States are dialysis patients. There are two types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal. About 90% of patients receiving dialysis receive it as hemodialysis.
Dialysis acts as an artificial kidney when the kidneys stop working. It is a procedure performed to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood, which are the normal duties of a kidney. In dialysis, a tube is attached to a needle in the arm. Blood passes along the tube and into a machine that filters it. The blood is then passed back into the arm through another tube.
While dialysis can be done at home in some cases, it is often done at a dialysis center. It is typically done three days a week for four hours at a time.
It’s important to know that errors can occur in dialysis centers. Where a person gets their dialysis done can make all the difference. For example, when people have dialysis at a private, for-profit center, they face a higher risk of death than those who seek the treatment at non-profit clinics.
Have you been affected by kidney dialysis errors? If so, the Maryland kidney dialysis lawyers at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman can assess your case and inform you of your options.
Dialysis Errors
Common dialysis errors include the following:
- Medication errors
- Infections in the bloodstream due to contamination
- Improper use of acid concentrate in a dialysis machine
- Dialyzer errors
- Dialysis machine leaks
- Excess blood loss
- Failing to clear dialysis machines of cleaning solutions
- Negligent cleaning and filtering of water system
- Failure to monitor blood pressure
- Staff not responding to machine alarms
- Malfunctioning machine alarms
Causes of Dialysis Errors
How are these errors occurring? Most of them occur at private, for-profit kidney dialysis centers. These centers don’t always meet the standard for adequate care. Patients are often not properly treated for dialysis at these centers, which tend to have smaller, poorly trained staff. Plus, patients generally attend these clinics for shorter periods, which often leads to higher mortality rates.
Private, for-profit kidney dialysis centers also see errors such as physician failure to monitor the patient’s blood work and dialysis medication errors. Also, fistulas get clotted and fail, which may require risky surgery to repair.
These potential problems require dialysis patients and their families to stay on top of dialysis care. They cannot put all their trust in the dialysis clinics. Making a thoughtful choice for a dialysis center can be a life-saving decision.
Contact Us Today
Those suffering from kidney failure can suffer long-term harm by getting their dialysis done at the center by inexperienced staff. If you have been affected, you need to know your legal options.
The personal injury lawyers at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman will help you obtain the compensation you deserve for kidney dialysis errors. We’ll hold the appropriate staff liable for your injuries. Schedule a free consultation with our office today by calling (410) 567-0800.
