(845) 802-0047Misdiagnosis of any kind can be detrimental to someone’s future health. It is a medical professional’s job to catch serious medical conditions that can prevent future harm to the patient. However, mistakes do happen and when they do it can be vital to discuss the events of your case with a distinguished medical malpractice attorney. A lawyer can discuss common forms of Hudson Valley medical misdiagnosis cases and help you determine whether your case involves the failed duty of care required to file for damages.
How Misdiagnosis Differs From Malpractice Claims
Misdiagnosis simply means the failure to properly diagnose a condition. However, common forms of Hudson Valley medical misdiagnosis cases can cause temporary or permanent damage to the patient. If there is a delay in diagnosis, the critical factor is the potential for suffering consequences due to that delay.
Misdiagnosis cases typically address the following questions:
- Were standard practices followed before committing to a diagnosis?
- If the delay was only four months for the diagnosis, what was the consequence?
- Did cancer or another condition spread in the patient’s body?
- Could this have been prevented?
In other types of cases involving a deviation from the standard of care, the issue can come from actions performed by the doctor, such as ignoring the signs of a distressed baby that ultimately cause brain damage in a birth injury case.
Commonality of Heart Attack or Stroke Malpractice
The most common forms of Hudson Valley medical misdiagnosis cases includes the failure to diagnose a heart attack, and that is when the patient is presenting with a sudden onset of severe chest pain. The appropriate workup and testing must be done by either the emergency medical physician or cardiologist.
A stroke is a very common type of condition that can be misdiagnosed if the patient is presenting with the sudden loss of consciousness called a transient ischemic attack. A common misdiagnosis is the failure to diagnose cancer, whether that be lung cancer, colon cancer, or even brain cancer.
In some cases with a high suspicion of a heart attack, they will perform a stress test in which they place the patient on a treadmill and try to have the patient exert as much activity and motion and put as much pressure on their heart as possible to see if that will trigger any type of pain. If it does trigger pain, that can lead to further workup, including admission to the hospital.
Can Misdiagnosis be Prevented?
The recommended way to reduce the chance of a misdiagnosis is to be referred to a specialist. If the primary care cannot make the diagnosis, which is very common, there are two options. If it is an emergency medical condition such as the sudden onset of chest pain, the doctor should send the patient to the emergency room. If it is not an emergency medical condition and the primary care physician cannot determine the cause of the symptoms, the patient should be referred to a specialist.
The injured person should speak to a medical malpractice lawyer about the common forms of Hudson Valley medical misdiagnosis cases and how to file for damages for their case. A plaintiff’s lawyer is someone who brings claims on behalf of an injury victim. It may be critical to contact a trusted attorney right away.