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Medical Malpractice

Jury Awards Woman $755,000 in Emergency Room Medical Malpractice CasePosted on 5/16/2012
New Board Recommendations Important to Safety of Atlanta PatientsPosted on 5/9/2012
Are Georgia and U.S. Doctors Committing Medical Malpractice Online?Posted on 5/2/2012
Georgia and U.S. Nursing Homes’ Emergency Preparedness QuestionedPosted on 5/1/2012
Military Man Sues U.S. Government for Medical Malpractice DamagesPosted on 4/23/2012
“Doctors and Consumers Fight Unnecessary Testing”Posted on 4/18/2012
Could a New Diagnostic Tool Help Predict Heart Attacks and Save Lives?Posted on 4/9/2012
Important New Study Published on Most Common Childhood Leukemia, ALLPosted on 4/1/2012
Are Low Income Patients More Likely to Sue for Medical Malpractice?Posted on 3/19/2012
Are State Medical Boards Protecting the Public from Medical Malpractice?Posted on 3/9/2012

Are children more at risk of harm from medication-related errors than adults?

A: Medication-related errors are a common problem in the United States as upwards of 1.5 million people are affected by them, and thousands die each year from errors as well. Though many adults are affected, children are much more prone to suffering harm from medication errors. According to research, the potential for adverse drug events within the pediatric inpatient population is about three times as high as among hospitalized patients.

Recent studies have shown an approximate 11 percent adverse drug event rate among pediatric inpatients. What is more disturbing is that many of these cases could've been avoided. According to a 2008 article in Pediatrics, 22 percent of the adverse drug events were preventable, nearly 18 percent could have been identified earlier, and almost 17 percent could have been addressed more effectively.

There are several reasons why children have proven more likely to be harmed by medication-related errors, including their need for smaller doses, the lack of pediatric staff at many facilities, and the underdeveloped physiological functions that children exhibit.

If you or a loved one feel you have been a victim of medical malpractice in Georgia, please request one of the Dover Law Firm's several free resources on medical malpractice, including our free book, Why Did This Critical Medical Error Happen to Me?. Also, be sure to contact an experienced Atlanta medical malpractice attorney at the Dover Law Firm at 770-518-1133 or go to our website and fill out our online contact form to schedule a no-charge consultation to discuss your legal options.

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