Lack of Monitoring Leads to Breathing Problems and Cardiac Arrest

Many nursing home residents have difficulty breathing due to conditions such as emphysema, lung cancer, and other respiratory ailments.  However, proper monitoring can go a long way in limiting the effects of these conditions.  A Los Angeles nursing home abuse lawyer will tell you that nursing homes are responsible for monitoring the vital signs of patients.  If the patients have known respiratory conditions, their breathing should be monitored in addition to temperature, blood pressure, and pulse.  Patients who receive breathing treatments should be monitored even more carefully.  If you feel that your loved one’s respiratory concerns were not monitored properly, you should contact a San Bernardino nursing home abuse lawyer to find out what you can do to prevent it from happening again.  While cardiac arrest cannot be prevented due to many medical conditions, it can be prevented in some nursing home patients.  Those who are on medications should be carefully monitored for allergic reactions.  Patients with known heart conditions should have their vital signs monitored and have any relevant diagnostic testing done at appropriate times.  If an allergy or a health condition is missed or misdiagnosed, the patient’s condition can worsen and progress into cardiac arrest.  If the patient is not being carefully monitored, the cardiac arrest can go undetected and lead to brain death or a fatality.  If you feel your loved one’s cardiac arrest could have been prevented with proper monitoring, contact a San Bernardino nursing home abuse lawyer to find out if you have any recourse.