Articles Tagged With: Misdiagnosis
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Is it Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy or Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease?
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease may be confused with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, resulting in inappropriate and hazardous treatments. Age at onset < 40 years, a family history of neuropathy, absence of nerve hypertrophy on magnetic resonance imaging, and poor response to intravenous immune globulin treatment should prompt a genetic evaluation.
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Verdict Upheld in Medical Malpractice Trial Despite Juror Bias
This case provides two meaningful lessons about medical malpractice jury trials and related expert witness testimony. -
Shortness of Breath in Older Adults Is Challenging Diagnosis in ED
Older adults might present with atypical symptoms, such as “just not feeling right.” Some experience a decreased sensation of dyspnea itself, so they do not even report feeling short of breath. Older patients also may present with various comorbid conditions that are causing shortness of breath, such as congestive heart failure or COPD. This can lead to misdiagnosis.
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Misdiagnosis Top Allegation in Aortic Dissection Malpractice Claims
Failure to timely diagnose, failure to order diagnostic tests, and failure to interpret diagnostic tests were the most frequent allegations in malpractice claims involving aortic dissection, according to an analysis of claims filed between 1994 and 2019.
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Documentation Can Determine Outcome of Missed Myocardial Infarction Lawsuit
Some charts might indicate there was chest pain and an abnormal ECG, but the patient was discharged with no explanation. Plaintiffs can use this to make a case the emergency physician missed classic presentation of myocardial infarction. Counter this allegation with specific documentation outlined here.
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Cardiology-Related Misdiagnoses Frequently Alleged in ED Malpractice Claims
In an analysis, 58% of claims against emergency physicians resulted from misdiagnosis. Diagnosis-related allegations were more common in emergency medicine-related claims (58% of claims) than in claims involving internists (42% of claims). The most common final diagnoses were myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolus, and cardiac arrest.
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Incomplete Medication Lists Can Lead to Allegations of Negligence
Just 23% of older adults in the ED gave a medication list that mirrored pharmacy records, according to the results of an analysis. More than half the patients omitted antibiotics they were taking at the time of the visit. Not knowing about a medicine can lead to dangerous therapy or misdiagnosis.
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ED Nurses Also Face Liability for Misdiagnosis
The idea that it is not within the nurses’ scope of practice to contribute to diagnosis is both dangerous and wrong.
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Delayed Care, Misdiagnoses Still Happening, Regardless of COVID-19 Surges
Just because there are surges of respiratory patients in the emergency department does not mean there are any fewer stroke, heart attack, or septic patients. There will not be fewer lawsuits, either, if any of these patients receive delayed care or are misdiagnosed.
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Vascular Events, Infections Top Misdiagnosed Conditions in ED Malpractice Claims
The lead author of a recent study expounds on high-severity misdiagnosis cases and what those mean for EDs in terms of patient safety and malpractice risk.