Diagnosis Errors

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iagnosis errors can include misdiagnosis leading to inappropriate treatments, delayed diagnosis allowing an otherwise reversible condition to progress to the point that it is no longer treatable, or failure to diagnose a condition entirely. One of the most tragic results of diagnosis error is the wrongful death of a loved one who could have been saved if the proper diagnosis had been made in time.

Delayed treatment

A delayed diagnosis leads to delayed treatment. Early detection is the key to surviving and recovering from many conditions including cancer and stroke.

Certain types of cancer, such as melanoma, respond very well to early treatment but are deadly if allowed to progress. For those that may still respond to treatment, a delayed cancer diagnosis means more aggressive and painful treatment.

During medical emergencies such as stroke, a delay of minutes can mean permanent brain injury or death.

Misdiagnosis

Misdiagnosis can cause a patient to undergo expensive, painful, and even dangerous treatments that they do no need. Unneeded treatments can cause permanent disability, permanent health damage, and can be fatal. A perfectly healthy person can wind up having years of dangerous and unnecessary treatments due to a false positive on a lab test. The mental anguish of believing you have a fatal disease can be overwhelming and for some leads to suicide.

Misdiagnosis also means not getting the treatment that you need if there is something wrong with your health. Failure to treat a condition allows it to progress. Treating a non-existent condition at the same time can further weaken your health and ability to fight the real condition.

Failure to diagnose

Some events or conditions are not progressive, but failure to diagnose them can lead to a recurrence. For instance, when a heart attack is not diagnosed the patient is at a greater risk for a second more harmful attack.

Similarly, undiagnosed brain injury puts the patient at risk for another accident. Second impact syndrome is a cascade of events that can be very damaging or deadly. It happens when a person who has had a brain injury incurs a second brain injury before the first one has healed.

Causes of diagnosis error

Some common causes of diagnosis error include:

Improper administration of tests
Improper reading of test results
Laboratory error
Failure to consider a patient’s history
Errors in recording intake interview
Failure to recognize symptoms or early warning signs
Belief that the patient is not a candidate for the condition
Failure to order tests
Choosing not to recommend tests due to financial concerns
Failure to follow up with patient

Recovering from diagnosis error can mean undergoing expensive treatments that you would not have otherwise needed. Just compensation may be the only way you can afford the treatment that you require. Please contact our McAlester, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa, Oklahoma area office to schedule your free consultation right away.

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McAlester Office
343 E. Carl Albert Pkwy.
McAlester, OK 74501

Phone: (918) 423-0421
or (800) 658-1596
Fax: (918) 423-0266

Oklahoma City Office
525 Central Park Dr., 101
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Phone: (405) 524-2268
or (800) 299-7299
Fax: (405) 525-3231

Tulsa Office
2417 E. Skelly Dr.
Tulsa, OK 74170

Phone: (918) 749-0749
or (800) 798-2613
Fax: (918) 747-0751

Disclaimer: The information contained throughout this site is meant to generally inform the reader about our areas of practice, including medical malpractice. This information is not meant to be taken as legal advice and nothing on this site establishes a lawyer / client relationship. Our accident lawyers provide legal assistance in the Tulsa area including Oklahoma City, McAlester and Norman, Oklahoma.