Misdiagnosis is unfortunately common but can potentially cause serious harm to patients. When a misdiagnosis, incorrect diagnosis, or delayed diagnosis causes you or a loved one serious harm or even death, you likely have a medical malpractice claim.
Understanding what diseases and conditions are commonly misdiagnosed by doctors and other healthcare providers can help you better identify these issues. Several conditions are commonly misdiagnosed or completely undiagnosed.
Cancer
Many types of cancer go undiagnosed. The most common are breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, and bladder cancer. If a doctor fails to diagnose cancer promptly, it can have serious consequences for a patient and make complications and death much more likely.
Heart Attack
Heart attacks cause immediate and permanent issues; if not diagnosed quickly by a healthcare professional, the patient can suffer severe heart damage.
Aneurysms
An aneurysm is a bulge or bubble in an artery and can cause serious pain if it bursts. Brain aneurysms are very serious and need immediate medical treatment. If the symptoms of a forming or burst aneurysm are ignored or improperly treated, it can lead to severe injury and death.
Pulmonary Embolism
A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in a person’s lungs. This is a serious health concern that is often missed by a provider’s negligence in careful evaluation.
Appendicitis
This is when a person’s appendix bursts and suffers from infection, sepsis, or septic shock. Other infections, like bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, cause sepsis. Sepsis can cause permanent harm and even lead to death.
Strokes
This is a blood clot in the brain, a medical emergency. The longer a person is untreated, the more likely the outcome is death or severely damaging.
Lyme Disease
Tick bites can result in Lyme disease, resulting in an infection in the entire bloodstream if not quickly treated. Failure to quickly and effectively diagnose can make it harder to treat.
Medical Malpractice Representation
Medical malpractice claims resulting from missed or faulty diagnosis are complicated to analyze and prove. It often requires a medical expert to review the records and render a decision. If you were harmed by a medical professional’s negligence and misdiagnosis, contact Shlesinger & deVilleneuve Attorneys P.C. Let us help you through a medical malpractice case.