If you are injured in a car wreck or are afflicted with a disease that requires a hospital stay in Georgia, you should feel confident that your medical providers know when you are ready to leave the hospital and return home. However, sometimes a hospital might prematurely discharge you, which can be very dangerous. If you have not sufficiently recovered, you could run the risk of worsening health or even death.
According to U.S. News and World Report, patients with unstable vital signs should not be cleared to leave. Vital signs can include a person’s heart or respiratory rate, oxygen level, blood pressure or body temperature. If any of these are abnormal, it could indicate a lag in recovery or a new illness that has manifested. A failure to stabilize abnormal vital signs could lead to serious health complications.
Some hospital patients experience symptoms that have not been diagnosed as part of their current illness or injury. Someone may have involuntary spells of unconsciousness, or run a fever, or have vomiting. Unexplained symptoms can indicate a new or previously undiscovered problem that the medical staff treating the patient is not aware of.
Self-reliance is something else a hospital staff should pay attention to. Patients who are ready to be discharged should generally be able to function without assistance. They should be capable of handling life activities such as eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, and getting in and out of bed. If medicine is prescribed, the patient should able to administer it in whatever manner a doctor deems necessary.
Very Well Health adds that unforeseen errors may necessitate a longer hospital stay. It is possible for patients to not heal as fast as anticipated from surgery. Some patients have been administered the wrong drug and need to stay for corrective measures, or they require treatment from an infection acquired from their stay. Also, older patients take longer to heal and cannot be discharged as quickly as younger patients.
There are ways patients can help ensure that they are ready to leave a hospital, including asking doctors to measure their vital signs or to check out an unexplained symptom. In the event you have doubts about your ability to physically function, you may need to consider moving to a rehab facility such as a skilled nursing home. If you want to continue your recovery at home, you may arrange for a caregiver to assist you.
Cook & Tolley, LLP
304 E Washington St
Athens, GA 30601
(706) 549-6111
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