When a child has to go to a hospital in an emergency situation, it can be frightening for the child and the parents alike. The situation can become all the more harrowing if the child must undergo surgery. Therefore, when a child must have an emergency procedure, it is hoped that the attending medical professionals are prepared to carry their duties.
While there is no good day for a child to have emergency surgery, research indicates that the weekends may be worse than the rest of the week. A published study, which drew data from a national database, focused on emergency procedures performed on children who were less than 18 years of age.
The data revealed that there was a 40 percent greater likelihood of a patient suffering an accidental cut or puncture during a weekend procedure. Moreover, weekend patients had a 63 percent greater chance of dying than patients who had similar procedures performed during rest of the week.
Regardless of the day of the week, if a child needs emergency surgery then it must be performed as soon as possible. But the study does indicate medical professionals may be more prone to make mistakes on the weekends.
If you take your child to a health care facility for treatment, you do so trusting that he or she will receive proper care. A surgical error could cause a child to suffer lifelong complications. A severe error could even prove fatal.
If you believe that your child was harmed during the course of a surgical procedure, you may wish to obtain the services of an Arizona medical malpractice attorney. The attorney may be able to determine if your child’s injuries were due to negligence on behalf of the attending physician or a member of his or her surgical team. The attorney could also represent your interests in seeking compensation for expenses.