Emergency room errors and emergency room
misdiagnosis are abundant. Anything done at the frantic pace of the emergency
room is bound to have a higher error level then normal. This however does not
mean that all emergency room mistakes are acceptable. Just the contrary; many
emergency room mistakes are completely preventable and can be described as
medical malpractice due to an emergency room nurse or doctors negligence.
A misdiagnosis can occur at any stage in the emergency room visit. It
could result from an incorrect initial assessment, leading to a delay in
diagnosis or treatment; a failure to recognize the condition bringing the
patient to the emergency room; a failure to obtain appropriate diagnostic tests;
a failure to obtain a consultation from an appropriate specialist or a failure
to refer the patient to an appropriate specialist; or prescribing an incorrect
medication.
Common diseases that are frequently misdiagnosed
in the emergency room are:
Breast Cancer
Tuberculosis
Lung Cancer
Diabetes
Prostate Cancer
Cervical Cancer
Ovarian Cancer
Testicular Cancer
Acute Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
Strokes
Pulmonary Embolism
Bacterial Meningitis
Appendicitis
Many of these conditions are life threatening if the physician or other health
care provider fails to consider them in making a diagnosis.
Errors in
hospital Emergency Rooms are a common occurrence infrequently talked about and
rarely reported to the media. That is why you don't hear about these types of
cases on the news. Understaffed hospitals or ill-equipped emergency rooms may
lead to fatal errors while dealing with patients requiring emergency treatment.
When the necessary steps of treating an emergency room patient are sidestepped,
then an emergency error may result.
According to repots from the Institute of Medicine , from 1993 to 2003, the U.S. population grew by 12
percent but emergency room visits grew by 27 percent, from 90 million to 114
million. In that same period, however, 425 emergency departments closed, along
with about 700 hospitals and nearly 200,000 beds.
Over 225,000 people die from medical malpractice related injuries in a
single year. Nearly half of these are from emergency room errors.
If you were injured due to an emergency room misdiagnosis or in the care of a physician in Pennsylvania or elsewhere in the state, please contact Munley, Munley & Cartwright. Our goal is to provide exceptional legal services to our clients. We strive to achieve the highest standard of excellence for the protection of individual rights through team work and the use of our considerable resources and experience.
If you have been injured as a result of an emergency room error or have experienced the wrongful death of a loved one due to
medical malpractice, Munley, Munley & Cartwright, of Scranton, Pennsylvania can help you.
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