Medical Malpractice Glossary

Anesthesia Errors – A form of medical malpractice in which the anesthesiologist creates a vital error resulting in injury to the patient, such as anesthesia dosage error, patient monitoring error, defective anesthesia equipment or prolonged sedation.

Anesthesiological Malpractice – A type of medical negligence resulting from the failure of an anesthesiologist to perform his duty leading to anesthesia error, such as an intubation error, the failure to recognize a complication or a delay in the administration of anesthesia, leading to patient injury.

Anoxia – A complete deprivation of oxygen delivery to the body. Anoxia can lead to brain damage and often results from a failure to diagnose certain conditions, such as cardiac arrest or internal bleeding.

Anoxic Brain injury – Brain damage resulting from the complete lack of oxygen being supplied to the brain. Anoxic brain injury includes memory loss, neurological impairment and reduced executive function.

Birth Injury – Any physical injury incurred by an infant during the birthing process. Birth injury may appear as a fractured bone, cerebral palsy, anoxic brain injury or shoulder dystocia.

Brachial Plexus Injury – Damage to the brachial plexus nerve bundle in the shoulder. Brachial plexus injury typically arises from excessive pulling of the shoulder during birth.

Brain Damage – Any trauma to the brain that inhibits normal brain function. Brain damage can arise from medical malpractice, such as surgical error, birth injury, anesthesia error or failure to diagnose a condition.

Cancer Misdiagnosis – A form of medical malpractice resulting from medical negligence. Most often a lack of thorough examination or a failure to recognize the signs and symptoms leads to cancer misdiagnosis.

Cerebral Palsy – A neurologic birth defect resulting from infant brain injury. Cerebral palsy typically results from drug exposure, improper use of forceps, vacuum extraction, lack of oxygen and excessive use of labor drugs.

Cosmetic Surgery Errors – A type of medical malpractice typically arising from inexperienced surgeons and poor judgment. Cosmetic surgery errors often result in nerve damage, infection, scarring, disfigurement, organ penetration and internal bleeding.

Doctor’s Errors – Any action or lack of action by a doctor in the diagnosis or treatment of a patient leading to injury. Doctor’s errors often include misdiagnosis, birth injury, medication errors and surgical errors.

Doctor’s Mistakes – Any portion of the diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment care of a patient resulting in injury to a patient. Many doctor’s mistakes appear as anesthesia errors, wrong patient surgery, failure to diagnose a condition and birth injury.

Erb’s Palsy – Paralysis of the arm arising from the severing or damage to the brachial plexus arm nerves. This nerve damage typically arises from excessive pulling during a difficult birth.

Failure To Diagnose – A form of medical malpractice in which a medical professional fails to adequately examine or recognize the signs and symptoms to correctly determine a medical condition.

Hospital Error – A type of medical malpractice arising from the improper or negligent provision of medical care by hospital staff resulting in injury to a patient.

Hospital Malpractice – A form of medical negligence resulting from careless or inadequate care provided by hospital employees to a patient leading to injury

Hospital Mistake – The negligent or careless medical care provided by hospital staff eliciting harm to a patient. Hospital mistake is among the many forms of medical malpractice.

Hypoxia – A lack of oxygen supplied to the body. Hypoxia can arise from difficulty breathing, insufficient respiration and reduced blood flow.

Hypoxic Brain Injury – Brain damage resulting from a lack of oxygen being supplied to the brain. Hypoxic brain injury includes memory loss, loss of coordination, amnesia and seizure.

Medical Malpractice – The failure of a medical professional to provide the standard of care resulting in patient injury.

Medical Negligence – The failed provision of care provided by a medical professional leading to patient harm.

Misdiagnosis – The failure to recognize the signs and symptoms of a medical condition. Misdiagnosis can allow a treatable condition to progress to a terminal condition.

Nerve Damage – A common ailment eliciting numerous sensations, such as mild tingling or a total loss of feeling. Nerve damage may lead to paralysis or death. Nerve damage often results from medical malpractice.

Neurological Malpractice – The failure of a neurologist or neurosurgeon to properly perform diagnostic examinations, treat a neurological disorder or diagnose a neurological condition. Neurological malpractice can lead to paraplegia, quadriplegia and death.

Nursing Error – The improper treatment of a patient by a nurse leading to injury. Many nursing errors include improper medication dosage, improper documentation and failure to provide vital care.

Nursing Home Error – The inadequate provision of care by nursing home staff resulting in patient harm. Nursing home error often arises from failed patient monitoring, improperly trained employees, medications errors and poorly maintained living conditions.

Nursing Mistake – The inadequate patient treatment by a nurse resulting in injury. Nursing mistake can include the misuse of a medical device, patient reporting failure and working beyond the scope of training.

Ob/Gyn Errors – A form of medical malpractice resulting from the failure of the Ob/Gyn to provide the best possible care. Ob/Gyn errors often include improper prenatal testing, sterilization failure and instrument misuse.

Ob/Gyn Mistakes – A type of medical negligence resulting from the inadequate performance of an Ob/Gyn leading to error, such as contraceptive side effects, sterilization failure or misdiagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. Ob/Gyn mistakes often result in permanent infertility, organ damage, serious infection and death.

Obstetrical Malpractice – Medical negligence arising from the improper provision of care by an Ob/Gyn resulting in patient harm. Obstetrical Malpractice often results in numerous forms of birth injury, such as shoulder dystocia, cerebral palsy, intracranial hemorrhage and hypoxic brain injury.

Paralysis – A loss of motor and sensory function. Paralysis can result from surgical errors or neurological malpractice.

Pediatric Errors – The inadequate or negligent medical care of a child resulting in injury. Pediatric errors may include delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, improper medication dosage or omission of medication.

Plastic Surgery Errors – A type of medical malpractice resulting from outdated techiniques, poor judgment and inexperienced surgeons. Plastic surgery errors often lead to disfigurement, excessive scarring and nerve damage.

Prescription Errors – A type of medical negligence where the patient receives the wrong medication or the wrong dosage.

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) – The lack of newborn circulatory system adaptation to outside breathing conditions. Numerous forms of medical malpractice can lead to PPHN, such as failure to diagnose and treat infection, failure to prevent birth asphyxia, unnecessary cesarean section and medication errors.

Shoulder Dystocia – A fetal emergency where the infant’s shoulders become stuck after the head is delivered. The chin presses against the perineum and the umbilical cord becomes compressed in the birth canal.

Surgical Errors – The failure of a surgeon to perform a surgical procedure with the standard of care. Surgical errors often arise from organ puncture, wrong site surgery and delayed surgery.

Surgical Infection – The failure to prevent harmful bacteria from entering the body through an exposed surgical site. Surgical infection often arises from a failure to adequately seal wounds, failure to use sterilized surgical instruments, improper post-surgical care and failure to prescribe antibiotics.

Surgical Injury – Any negligent patient trauma resulting from a surgical procedure. Surgical injury can lead to brain damage, organ damage, heart problems and death.

Surgical Malpractice – Medical negligence arising from the failure of a surgeon to adequately perform his duty and provide the proper medical care. Surgical malpractice often results from wrong patient surgery, incorrect incision, prolonged surgery and delayed surgery.

Wrongful Death – A death result from another person’s negligence, malice or carelessness.

Wrong Medication – The prescribing or delivering of the wrong medication or wrong dosage of a medication resulting in patient injury. Wrong medication can lead to adverse drug interactions, drug allergies, organ damage or death.

Wrong Patient Surgery – Medical negligence arising from a patient undergoing a surgery scheduled to be performed on another patient. Wrong patient surgery typically arises from miscommunication, inadequate pre-operative planning, medical records errors and unusual time constraints.

Wrong Site Surgery – A significant form of surgical error resulting from the failure of a surgeon to properly perform his duty and provide proper care. Wrong site surgery often arises from inadequate communication, surgical mix-up, failure to review medical charts and emergencies.

If you or someone you love is suffering from medical malpractice, contact our New York Medical Malpractice Lawyer team with Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC for a free initial case evaluation. Please call us at 800.696.9529, online or contact one of our New York City offices in Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, the Bronx or Brooklyn, our New York office in Westchester County or one of our Long Island offices in Nassau County or Suffolk County.