Common Types of Misdiagnosis That Result From Hospital Negligence
Hospital negligence, as it relates to misdiagnosis, often happens in emergency room situations – although that is not always the case.
Emergency rooms are a buzzing hub of constant activity and split-second decisions are necessary to keep patients alive.
In this environment, mistakes made through carelessness are often the most damaging.
Common types of misdiagnosis include:
- Misdiagnosis Due to Lab Errors – This can occur when lab samples are contaminated, improperly analyzed or when lab results are mislabeled. Doctors can also make a mistake in reviewing test results, which can cause them to diagnose the wrong illness for a patient.
- Misdiagnosis Due to Improper Testing – In some instances, doctors may order the wrong tests, because they fail to recognize symptoms. And, as shocking as it may seem, some doctors fail to obtain test results or fail to let patients know the results of those tests. Failing to order appropriate follow-up tests based on initial test results is another example of negligence.
- Misdiagnosis Due to Improperly Understanding Symptoms – This occurs when doctors mistake a set of symptoms as one illness or disease when in reality it is another kind of ailment. For example, because the symptoms of mesothelioma can mimic other, non-fatal illnesses, some doctors will misdiagnose mesothelioma as pneumonia or even as a lung disease as opposed to a deadly form of cancer.
Another example occurs when patients complain of constant and severe chest pain, and doctors misdiagnose it as acid-reflux instead of as a serious sign of an impending heart attack.