Baltimore, Maryland Misdiagnosis Lawyers

Attorneys for Injuries to Patients Due to Misdiagnosis in Baltimore, MD

When a person seeks medical care, they place a great deal of trust in the professionals who will be treating them. They expect that doctors, nurses, and specialists will evaluate their symptoms carefully, order the diagnostic tests that are needed, and take steps to diagnose their condition correctly. When a condition is missed, misidentified, or diagnosed too late, the consequences for the patient can be catastrophic.

Medical misdiagnosis is one of the most common and most harmful forms of medical malpractice. An incorrect diagnosis could result in a delay in treatment, or it could lead to a person receiving treatment for a condition they do not have while their actual disease progresses. For conditions where early intervention is critical, a diagnostic failure can be the difference between recovery and permanent disability or wrongful death.

Silverman Thompson represents patients and families harmed by misdiagnosis and other diagnostic failures. Our legal team works to hold negligent healthcare providers accountable for failing to provide the proper care. We will take steps to obtain the full compensation that victims of diagnostic errors deserve.

What Constitutes Diagnostic Negligence?

There may be a level of uncertainty when providing medical care, and some conditions can be difficult to identify. However, medical negligence may occur when a provider's conduct falls below the accepted standards of care. If a reasonably competent physician with the same level of education and training would have reached the correct diagnosis in a similar situation, a provider's failure to diagnose a condition correctly may be considered to be negligent.

Diagnostic failures can take several forms. A missed diagnosis may occur when a provider fails to identify a condition that should have been detected. A delayed diagnosis may occur when the correct condition is eventually identified, but only after a period during which the disease has progressed and caused harm that could have been prevented by earlier detection. A misdiagnosis may occur when a provider diagnoses a patient with the wrong condition, leading to treatment that is ineffective or harmful while the true underlying condition goes unaddressed.

Conditions That Are Often Misdiagnosed

Diagnostic errors can occur across virtually every area of medicine, but certain conditions are misdiagnosed more often than others. These situations can have devastating consequences for patients who should have been provided with the proper care.

Cancer Misdiagnosis

Many cancers are treatable when they are identified at an early stage, but they will become significantly more difficult to manage when diagnosis is delayed. In some cases, a cancer misdiagnosis can have fatal results.

Breast cancer is among the most frequently misdiagnosed cancers. A physician who dismisses a palpable lump without ordering appropriate imaging, a radiologist who misreads a mammogram, or a provider who fails to follow up on an abnormal result may allow a treatable early-stage cancer to progress to a stage where treatment options are far more limited and survival rates are lower.

Lung cancer is often misdiagnosed as pneumonia, bronchitis, or other respiratory conditions. Patients who have symptoms such as coughing, fatigue, and other respiratory issues may be misdiagnosed with another condition.

Colorectal cancer often involves warning signs such as rectal bleeding, changes in bowel habits, or abdominal pain. These symptoms may sometimes be attributed to hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, or dietary issues. A failure to order a colonoscopy or imaging study may prevent this form of cancer from being diagnosed correctly.

Stroke

Strokes are medical emergencies. During every minute that a stroke goes untreated, millions of neurons may be lost. A diagnostic failure that delays the recognition of a stroke and prevents a person from receiving timely treatment can result in permanent neurological damage.

Strokes are misdiagnosed with alarming frequency. Symptoms such as severe headaches, dizziness, facial drooping, arm weakness, and difficulty with speech may sometimes be attributed to migraines, vertigo, alcohol intoxication, or anxiety. Medical providers who fail to perform the correct assessments, who dismiss stroke symptoms in patients, or who fail to order brain imaging when necessary may be liable for the harm that patients suffer as a result.

Infections and Sepsis

Bacterial infections that are not promptly identified and treated can progress to sepsis, which is a life-threatening immune response that can cause organ failure, septic shock, and death. Sepsis is a leading cause of death in hospitals, and it is a condition where the speed of diagnosis and treatment can directly affect the outcome for a patient.

Diagnostic failures in sepsis cases may begin with a failure to recognize early warning signs, such as fever, elevated heart rate, abnormal respiratory rate, and changes in mental status. Providers who attribute these signs to other causes, who delay in ordering laboratory tests, or who fail to begin antibiotic therapy when necessary may allow a treatable infection to become a fatal one.

Aortic Dissection

Aortic dissection involves a tear in the inner wall of the aorta, the body's largest artery. This is one of the most life-threatening cardiovascular emergencies a physician can encounter, and it is also one of the most frequently misdiagnosed. The condition can be fatal within hours if it is not recognized and treated. However, symptoms such as chest or back pain or shortness of breath can be similar to heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, or musculoskeletal pain. Providers who fail to order appropriate imaging tests or discharge a patient with dissection symptoms without providing the proper treatment may be responsible for the catastrophic consequences that may affect a patient.

Pulmonary Embolism

A pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot that originates in the veins of the legs or other body parts travels to the lungs and blocks blood flow. A pulmonary embolism can cause sudden death, and even non-fatal cases can cause serious damage to a person's lung functions and cardiovascular capacity.

The symptoms of pulmonary embolism may include chest pain, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, and coughing, but they may be similar to pneumonia, anxiety, or cardiac conditions. Providers who do not consider pulmonary embolisms in patients with these symptoms, who fail to assess the risk factors that may affect patients, or who do not order appropriate diagnostic tests may allow a treatable condition to become fatal.

Cardiac Conditions and Heart Attack

Heart attacks are a leading cause of death in the United States, and diagnostic failures in cardiac care may lead to harm to patients. Misdiagnosis may be more likely for women and younger patients, because their heart attack symptoms may be different from what is expected. Women experiencing heart attacks may have symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, jaw pain, and shortness of breath. These symptoms may be attributed to gastrointestinal illness, anxiety, or other conditions.

Other cardiac conditions that may be misdiagnosed include heart failure and dangerous cardiac arrhythmias. These conditions may be misdiagnosed as respiratory illness, or they may be missed when electrocardiograms are not performed or are misread. A provider's failure to follow the correct standards when making a diagnosis may lead to injuries that can seriously impact a patient's overall health.

Diabetic Emergencies

Diabetic ketoacidosis may lead to elevated blood sugar, dehydration, and acid buildup in the blood. This condition is sometimes misidentified as a respiratory illness, gastrointestinal condition, or intoxication. The symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and an altered state of consciousness, can mislead providers who do not check blood glucose and perform appropriate metabolic testing. Delayed recognition of diabetic ketoacidosis can result in coma, organ damage, and death.

Neurological Conditions

In addition to strokes, a wide range of neurological conditions may be misdiagnosed. Multiple sclerosis is frequently misdiagnosed, or it may only be diagnosed after years of symptoms that were attributed to other conditions. Epilepsy is sometimes misidentified as syncope, psychiatric illness, or other causes of altered consciousness. Brain tumors, which may cause symptoms such as headaches, cognitive changes, or vision disturbances, are sometimes attributed to migraines, stress, or psychiatric conditions. In each of these situations, a delay in providing an accurate diagnosis can mean a delay in treatment that can cause patients to suffer serious harm.

Contact Our Baltimore, MD Misdiagnosis Injury Attorneys

A diagnostic failure by a medical professional can lead to a serious injury, and in these cases, the responsible parties should be held accountable. At Silverman Thompson, attorneys Andrew G. Slutkin and Ethan S. Nochumowitz can provide legal representation for victims of misdiagnosis, working to ensure that medical negligence will be addressed correctly. Contact our Baltimore misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis lawyers today at 410-385-2225 to schedule a free consultation with our legal team.