Pennsylvania residents who have to go to the hospital may want to avoid going in the afternoon hours. This is because there is a chance that a shift change could happen in the middle of a procedure. Most operating room nurses, surgical technicians and anesthesiologists work from about 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. If the outgoing team doesn’t communicate properly with the incoming team, it can lead to mistakes.

As a general rule, anesthesiologists make more mistakes in the afternoon as opposed to the morning hours. According to research from Duke University, they found that there was a 1 percent chance of a mistake happening. The odds of a mistake taking place increased to 4.2 percent at 4 p.m. In addition to mistakes in the operating room, doctors may be more prone to prescribing antibiotics in the afternoon as opposed to earlier in the day.

The reason is partially because they have been dealing with patients for so long that they are less able to make decisions. Instead, they simply prescribe the medication even if a patient may not need it to get better. Finally, going to the hospital in the afternoon may not be a good idea because most people tend to experience an energy drain at about 3 p.m. This includes medical professionals, and it can lead to an increased error rate.

Patients who are harmed because of a medical professional’s mistake may be victims of medical negligence. This occurs when a doctor or other professional makes an error that a person of his or her skill level and experience shouldn’t make. An attorney may review a case and help a patient obtain a favorable outcome.