Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys share results of a new study that found noisy operating room environments can cause a surgeon difficulty in hearing what is being said to them and may lead to a miscommunication among the surgical team. This can lead to an increase in medical errors that result in serious injuries. The study lists the sounds of surgical equipment, chatter or music as types of distractions that may occur in a surgical room.
According to the authors of the study, published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, poor communication is a common reason for preventable medical errors. Surgeons have critical conversations while performing surgery, and topics such as types and dosing of medication as well as other critical information is discussed. Obviously, clear communication is imperative in these situations, and failure to focus on the patient’s safety can have devastating effects. Researchers point out how different drugs with similar sounding names might be easily misheard when the surgical environment is filled with noise and other distractions. During the study, they found that surgeons performing a specific surgical task under noisy conditions (noise filtered through a surgical mask, background noise without music and background noise with music) did not comprehend words as well as those who performed the tasks without those conditions.
Medical Malpractice Attorneys Agree that Patient Safety is a Priority when Providing Medical Treatment
The study authors say that they hope to raise awareness about noise in operating rooms and the effects it could have on patient safety. They hope to continue their research by examining the effects of operating room noise on anesthesiologists, nurses and surgeons who are hearing impaired.
Patient safety continues to be an important industry concern with more than 180,000 U.S. patients dying from infections, accidents and errors that occur in hospitals each year. Raising awareness about preventable medical errors and their causes, and working to effectively reduce the number of patients harmed as a result of those medical errors should be a priority for all medical professionals.
Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Philadelphia and New Jersey
The Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling medical malpractice cases involving injuries resulting from medical errors. Our extremely skilled team of medical malpractice attorneys and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you child has suffered from or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice as a result of a medical error or any other type of negligent care received by a medical provider, contact the medical malpractice attorneys of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.