Tampa Medical Malpractice Claims: Commonly Misdiagnosed Medical Conditions
When you go to the doctor, you expect them to use their experience and skill to diagnose your symptoms and identify underlying health conditions. When they fail to do this or provide a misdiagnosis, the outcome for the patient can be life-threatening.
Our Tampa medical malpractice attorney shares some of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions and the unfortunate story of a local woman whose misdiagnosis proved tragically fatal.
Serious Health Conditions That May Be Misdiagnosed By Medical Providers
Doctors undergo years of education and training to prepare them to treat patients. Unfortunately, despite their knowledge and skill, medical errors can still happen. Medical misdiagnosis is one of the most common causes.
A medical misdiagnosis may involve failure to detect underlying diseases, chronic health conditions, or injuries, preventing patients from getting the care they need. It may also involve incorrectly diagnosing these conditions, thereby providing the wrong type of care.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), medical misdiagnosis is one of the most common types of medical malpractice in the U.S. Among the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions include:
- Colon, lung, breast, and other types of cancer;
- Heart attacks and strokes;
- Pulmonary embolism;
- Aortic aneurysms;
- Brain injuries;
- Kidney infections;
- Sepsis, which is a type of blood infection.
Medical Misdiagnosis Can Have Tragic Outcomes For Patients
Making any medical diagnosis involves some uncertainty. Unfortunately, failing to identify underlying conditions or the reasons behind certain symptoms can have tragic outcomes for patients.
A February 2024 Tampa Bay Times news report recently shared how a local 23-year-old woman died after doctors failed to diagnose an ulcer, which eventually led to her painful death. She was originally seen at Tampa General Hospital back in 2015, where doctors discovered the ulcer during an endoscopy. They sent her to Kindred Hospital in South Tampa for more intensive care and additional testing. Sadly, doctors there failed to run the appropriate tests and misdiagnosed her condition. Eventually, the ulcer spread through her intestines, resulting in sepsis. Nine years after her death, a judge awarded a total of $30 million to her parents.
This type of tragic outcome is unfortunately common. When doctors fail to diagnose patients properly, either at the hospital, the emergency room, or during doctor visits, it can allow conditions to increase in severity to the point that they eventually become fatal. Common factors that increase the risk include:
- Failing to review medical records;
- Failure to allow enough time for patient visits;
- Failure to run the appropriate testing;
- Failure to communicate with specialists or other providers.
To Hold Those At Fault Accountable, Contact Our Tampa Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Medical malpractice in Tampa is a serious problem and misdiagnosis is one of the most common ways it occurs. If you or someone you love is a victim, Greco & Wozniak, P.A. provide the experienced, trusted legal service you need to those at fault accountable. To request a consultation, contact our Tampa medical malpractice attorneys today.
Sources:
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788285
tampabay.com/news/health/2024/02/15/tampa-jury-awards-30m-parents-medical-malpractice-lawsuit/
