When Hospitals Cut Corners: How Failure to Follow Guidelines Can Cause Life-Changing Brain Injuries
If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury while in the hospital, you might wonder whether it could have been prevented. The truth is, many devastating brain injuries happen not because of bad luck, but because hospitals don’t follow the basic standards and guidelines that medical experts agree on.
What Are These “Standards and Guidelines”?
Medical guidelines are basically the “best practices” for doctors and nurses. They’re developed by top experts and organizations, based on years of research and real-world evidence. For brain injuries—whether from trauma, stroke, or lack of oxygen—these guidelines tell hospitals exactly how to diagnose, treat, and monitor patients to give them the best shot at recovery.
Why Are Guidelines So Important?
Multiple studies show that when hospitals follow these guidelines, patients with brain injuries are more likely to survive and recover with fewer long-term problems. Guidelines cover everything from when to order a CT scan, how to manage blood pressure, how to transfer a patient to a specialist, and the right timing for surgery or medication. Skipping steps or delaying care, even by a few minutes, can turn a treatable injury into a permanent disability.
For example, a study published in JAMA Surgery found that hospitals strictly following evidence-based guidelines for severe brain injuries had lower death rates. The difference wasn’t small—patients in hospitals that didn’t follow the rules were significantly more likely to die or suffer serious damage (JAMA Surgery).
What Happens When Hospitals Don’t Follow the Rules?
Unfortunately, not all hospitals do what they’re supposed to. Common mistakes include:
- Failing to monitor brain-injured patients closely in the ICU
- Delaying necessary scans or surgeries
- Ignoring early warning signs of brain swelling or bleeding
- Not transferring patients to a higher level of care when needed
When these errors happen, the results can be catastrophic: permanent brain damage, loss of independence, or even death. One review found that simply using established protocols in brain injury care improved patient outcomes and even reduced hospital costs—a win-win that’s being ignored far too often (Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery).
Is It Malpractice?
Failing to follow recognized medical guidelines can be considered negligence—a key piece in many medical malpractice lawsuits. Courts often look to these guidelines to decide if a hospital or doctor did what a reasonable professional should have done. If they skipped steps or ignored standards, and a brain injury resulted, a strong legal case might exist (Seminars in Neurology).
What Should You Do If You Suspect Hospital Negligence?
If you think a hospital’s mistakes caused a brain injury, don’t wait. Medical records, timelines, and expert reviews are crucial for these cases. An experienced law firm can help you figure out what happened—and whether the hospital’s failure to follow guidelines played a role.
No one should suffer a preventable brain injury just because a hospital didn’t do its job. If you have questions about your legal options, contact our team for a free, confidential consultation.
Girards Law Firm specializes in severe injury and wrongful death cases, especially those that involve birth injuries, brain damage, heart damage, spinal cord injuries or severe burns in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Contact us at www.girardslaw.com by using the chat feature for more information.