Failure to Diagnose Meningitis in New York: Albany Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Failure to Diagnose Meningitis Can Be New York Medical Malpractice

Meningitis is a very serious medical emergency, which can go from no symptoms to life-threatening or even death within a 24 hour period.  This is because meningitis is an infection of the membranes surrounding the spinal cord and brain—our central nervous system and our most vital structures.  Any delay in treating meningitis could result in a wrongful death.  Even if the meningitis is able to be controlled and treated, there could be long-lasting permanent injuries which impair an individual’s ability to cognitively function, voluntarily move, and other similar processes.  The failure to diagnose meningitis can absolutely be New York medical malpractice and victims and their families should call our Albany medical malpractice lawyer to learn what their rights are.

What is Meningitis?

Meningitis is just an infection like any other strep throat or GI bug.  What makes meningitis such dangerous is that it is an infection of the membranes around the spinal cord and brain.  This means that it will brain bacteria right to your most vital structures, which your body will try to fight back very aggressively.  This results in high fever which can damage your body and brain, as well as swelling which can put pressure on your brain and spinal cord and cause injury to them.  This is because these structures are in a “closed system,” meaning that the brain and spinal cord are in homeostasis in housed structure (the spinal column and the skull).  Any extreme pressure due to swelling or build will cause pressure on the brain and spinal cord which can result in serious personal injuries.

Delays in Treating Meningitis

The failure to diagnose meningitis is a very serious problem.  When meningitis is not treated quickly enough, it can result in very serious complications and damages to a person’s body.  Meningitis’ telltale symptom is the failure to bend one’s neck down to his or her chest.  This is due to fluid buildup.  In babies, who are particularly susceptible to meningitis, the meningitis can result in symptoms such as seizures, vomiting, and extreme irritability.

If a healthcare provider fails to identify these symptoms and just keeps a patient in the waiting room or waiting in an emergency room bed without triaging the case high (meaning sending over a doctor for evaluation), the healthcare provider may be causing irreparable injury to a patient’s body.  Any delay in getting the proper antibiotics and fluids into a patient is just allowing meningitis to fester and grow next to a patient’s brain!  

Doesn’t that sound like something that a negligent healthcare provider should be liable for?  Absolutely!  It can be New York medical malpractice and victims should call our Albany medical malpractice lawyer to learn his or her right when there is a failure to diagnose meningitis.

But what do you think?  I would love to hear from you!  Leave a comment or I also welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@fishermalpracticelaw.com.  You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.