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Failure to Diagnose Meningitis
One of the biggest problems with meningitis is the failure to properly diagnose or a delay in diagnosing. In either scenario, both would be considered medical malpractice and possible grounds for a medical malpractice case.
Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. It is sometimes referred to as spinal meningitis. The disease is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Viral meningitis is not serious but bacterial meningitis may result in brain damage, hearing loss, learning disabilities, and even be fatal.
Early diagnosis and identifying the specific type of bacteria which caused meningitis is significant because antibiotics can prevent some types from spreading and infecting more people.
Pennsylvania Meningitis Lawyers
Meningitis is often misdiagnosed as a less serious condition because early symptoms are flu-like. Most deaths associated with meningitis occur because of failure to diagnose the disease early. A nurse may see such important symptoms as stiff neck or photophobia or sensitivity to light.
Meningitis medical malpractice happens when the doctor or healthcare provider refuses to see you in a timely manner; when your doctor refused or failed to do the necessary diagnostic tests; or when the doctor failed to give you the proper treatment by dismissing your symptoms as a less serious condition.
Unfortunately, the above failures are far too common even in our high tech, modern medicine society.
