There are times when a person is injured and amputation of a limb is absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, there are also times when amputation becomes necessary because of negligence in caring for a patient who would not otherwise be in a position to lose a limb. A sixty five year old man was recently awarded a $3.157 million verdict for that very reason.
The man was hospitalized because he felt dizzy and weak, and he suspected that he might have internal bleeding. As part of the care that he received at the hospital, a doctor evaluated his left leg, which was wounded. The doctor put an Unna Boot, a specific type of gauze bandage, on the man’s leg to aid in healing the wounds. After the bandage had been on for five days, it was discovered that some of the tissue on the man’s leg had become necrotic, and amputation was deemed necessary.
Whenever a patient seeks medical care, whether it is at a doctor’s office, a hospital, or in some other health care setting, they bring their past with them. A patient’s medical history is extremely important to the medical professionals who are providing medical care because, among other things, it can help them to identify why a patient may be feeling a particular way or it can help them to know whether specific courses of treatment would be safe and appropriate for that particular patient.
In the case of the man who lost his leg, the Unna Boot bandage was not an appropriate way to treat his wounds because he had an underlying medical condition which reduced blood flow to his legs. The man had a history of peripheral vascular disease in his lower extremities, which means that the arteries in his lower body had narrowed and he had poor circulation in that area. According to the patient’s lawyers, the Unna Boot was not a proper way to treat wounds for a patient who has reduced blood flow. Additionally, no attempt was made to improve blood flow in the man’s leg prior to treating the wounds. The doctor had also failed to seek assistance from a vascular surgeon, which arguably could have helped the doctor find a way to treat the wounds without causing tissue necrosis in the area with reduced blood flow.
Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Mississippi Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Your medical history is tremendously important to doctors and others who provide you with medical care because it helps them to determine how they can best care for you. When doctors fail to provide care in a manner that addresses underlying conditions in a patient’s medical history the results can be tragic. If you have been injured by negligent medical care, protect your rights and get help from Mississippi Medical Malpractice Attorneys as soon as you can. The Mississippi Medical Malpractice Attorneys at the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. can help you to pursue the financial recovery that you deserve as you focus on your physical recovery. Please call our office today, at (601) 355-2022.