Medical experts and healthcare providers use specialized equipment while measuring biological data, providing treatment, making a diagnosis, and even sustaining life. Today’s care-giving methods are increasingly dependent on technology and medical engineering. Besides having able technology, medical experts and professionals must be trained and educated to operate these complex systems skillfully and flawlessly to extend accurate and cogent treatment.
Medical experts and healthcare providers use specialized equipment while measuring biological data, providing treatment, making a diagnosis, and even sustaining life. Today’s care-giving methods are increasingly dependent on technology and medical engineering. Besides having able technology, medical experts and professionals must be trained and educated to operate these complex systems skillfully and flawlessly to extend accurate and cogent treatment.
Types of Equipment Failure
Equipment failure may be classified into three categories, depending upon the type of equipment involved:
1. Medical Monitor Failures
Medical practitioners often rely on monitors to determine health factors in a patient, especially relating to obstetrics and child birth. Identifying the baby’s heartrate, health of the fetus, and even positioning may involve the use of medical monitors. Other examinations such as ultrasounds and ECGs require the assistance of a medical monitor to measure the observations. When these equipment fail, the results can either be a wrong reading, misdiagnosis or other distressful situations for the parties involved.
2. Diagnostic Equipment Failure
Various medical conditions can be treated and fully averted if diagnosed at an early stage. This scenario completely depends on able and functioning equipment. Failure of diagnostic equipment may delay the patient’s diagnosis, or even end in a misdiagnosis.
3. Specialized Care Equipment Failure
Surgeries, post-natal care, intensive care units, post-surgery care, and even diagnosis of certain conditions involve the use of specialized equipment. When these equipment exhibit a malfunction or failure, especially in ICUs, incubators for babies, the impact may be dire and fatal.
Causes of Equipment Failure
Equipment failing during your treatment should be one of the last aspects that you would want to worry about during your stay in a hospital. A casualty or death due to failed equipment is not only disastrous for the victim or his family, but also a completely avoidable one.
Some common reasons why equipment failures occur are:
· Failure to conduct periodic checks on equipment parts and performance
· Failure to replace malfunctioned parts or the entire equipment
· Wiring/rewiring mistakes that may lead to equipment damage
· Improper operation of equipment
· Humidity or moisture in power sockets
· Poorly trained, unskilled or inexperienced operators handling the equipment
· Electricity overload
· Loose connections
· Poor insulations
Hospital’s Liability for Equipment Failure
The equipment furnished and utilized by a hospital for treatment, diagnosis or life sustenance must be thoroughly tried, tested, and checked for possible errors, before installation. Periodic checks must be performed to ensure the equipment’s performance, safety, and proper working condition.
If the equipment was damaged or malfunctioned while in the custody of the manufacturer, he must be held responsible for the failure of the equipment and its consequences. If the defect occurred in the hospital which in turn failed to fix or replace it, the healthcare providers must be held accountable for the catastrophe implied by the malfunctioned equipment on the patient.
If you or a loved one has suffered due to hospital equipment failure, contact the New York City medical malpractice attorneys to have the best legal support by your side. Call 212-344-1000now for free & confidential consultation. You pay us nothing until your case is won.
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