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What are the symptoms of internal bleeding?

On Behalf of | Nov 14, 2018 | Surgical Errors |

Surgical errors can happen in many ways, from leaving sponges inside patients to accidentally cutting into the wrong organs. Depending on the significance of the error, the patient’s life could be in danger.

While the most dangerous surgical errors are likely to be those called “never events,” it’s also a reality that simple mistakes, like cutting too deeply into a part of the body or nicking an artery, could lead to fatal complications.

One of the possible mistakes a surgeon could make is failing to completely suture a wound or accidentally puncturing a part of the body that they don’t notice. This is common in the area of the bowel and abdomen, and although it shouldn’t happen, can lead to a patient bleeding to death.

What are the symptoms of internal bleeding?

You should know the signs of internal bleeding. Internal bleeding symptoms include:

  • A large or growing area of skin with a dark, purple color. This is called ecchymosis and can be a result of bleeding into the soft tissues.
  • Headaches and seizures, which are possible with bleeding in the brain.
  • Dizziness or fainting, which are signs of significant blood loss
  • Abdominal pain or swelling caused by trauma to the spleen, liver or another organ.
  • Swelling or tightness in the leg, which can be caused by damage in the thigh.

Any internal bleeding must be stemmed as soon as possible to prevent a patient from worsening. Even though the blood does not leave the body, it’s still possible to bleed to death internally. This is a surgical error that everyone should watch out for.