Emergency Departments: Regrettably a Place where Many cases of Misdiagnosis are Committed
People who are rushed to a hospital’s emergency department (ER) are met by a nurse who would ask them (or their family members) about their health complaint, symptoms experienced and other things related to their condition. This nurse is called a triage nurse, the person responsible in determining the severity of health conditions – the basis of who will need to be treated first. This is because, in emergency departments, priority of treatment is never based on a first come, first serve basis, but on the severity of the patient’s condition. Thus, a person with a life threatening condition will need to be treated ahead of everyone else even if he/she arrived much later than all of them. Waiting to be treated, sometimes for long hours, is very common in emergency departments; but, regardless of how infuriating waiting is, especially to a patient who may be suffering from extreme pain, but whose condition is less severe than another, medical personnel have no other choice but to attend first to those with more serious complaints. A reasonable rule, but only if all complaints are diagnosed correctly. Correct diagnosis of a patient’s health complaints is critical in medical treatment as this is the only way a doctor would be able to provide timely and correct treatment.
Many times in emergency departments, however, the contrary happens. Many blame the over-crowdedness and the chaotic atmosphere of ER’s; include to this too the lack of personnel and nurses despite the overload of patients. Then there are also the issues of poor communication and lack of collaboration between nurses and doctors. Due to all these, misdiagnosis becomes very common. The most common types of conditions often misdiagnosed in ER’s are stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, meningitis, and appendicitis. A misdiagnosis, or wrong diagnosis, is a form of medical malpractice which can result to the worsening of a patient’s original health complaint, cause a new serious health condition, or even lead to fatal consequences. Probably worse than all these probabilities, however, is the fact that this type of malpractice is a product of negligence, thus, making all of its ill effects preventable. As stated in the website of the Sampson Law Firm, “Emergency rooms and the staff that operate them are expected to quickly provide treatment to individuals who need immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, as you may be well aware, these facilities and their staff are sometimes negligent in their duties. Now that you or a loved one has been mistreated while undergoing emergency medical care, there is no reason that you should be made to bear the financial burden of what will be associated with the recovery process.”
Emergency rooms are equipped to provide immediate medical care to people who need it. So, although you had every reason to expect that you would be properly cared for when you sought medical attention in an Oceanside emergency room, there is good reason for you to pursue compensation now that your health was adversely affected by some form of negligence during your time at the ER. Seeking help from a personal injury or medical malpractice attorney, even at the slightest hint of misdiagnosis, will provide patients and their families with the necessary legal information and assistance in pursing legal action against the liable party. Choosing the right lawyer, however, is important since not all lawyers have the same depth of skills, length of experience and level of dedication. Entrusting a medical malpractice case to any lawyer may only result to loss of chance to receive compensation from the liable doctor, medical personnel, or even the hospital where they are employed.
