Question 1

Which Health Conditions Are Often Misdiagnosed?

Accepted Answer

Here are the conditions that are missed completely, misdiagnosed, or receive a delayed diagnosis most often:

Heart attack: The early symptoms of a heart attack can vary, and they are often the same as the symptoms of far less dangerous illnesses. Many heart attack sufferers who go to emergency room are misdiagnosed with heartburn, anxiety, muscle soreness, acid reflux, pneumonia, and more. A responsible ER physician would do a complete physical examination and order an EKG or ECG, plus blood tests to detect certain enzymes indicative of a heart attack.
Cancer: The key to successfully treating cancer is to catch the disease in its earliest stages. The more time a cancer has had to manifest itself in the patient’s body, the lesser the chance that medication, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, surgery, or other treatments will be affective.
Aneurysm: A “ballooning” of a blood vessel, brain aneurysms are especially dangerous because they can rupture. The symptoms include headache, blurred vision, nausea, sensitivity to light, and neck pain – which also happen to be the symptoms of a migraine. Physicians need to rule out the life-threatening aneurysm first, before they claim “it’s just a migraine.”
Bacterial meningitis: Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection that can result in permanent brain damage or death. Unfortunately, bacterial meningitis is often misdiagnosed as viral meningitis (which is far less serious), encephalitis, or strep throat.
Stroke: When healthcare professionals misread lab results, fail to order adequate testing, and fail to consult specialists in a timely manner, it can lead to the misdiagnosis of a stroke. There are two main errors particular to strokes: a failure to consider stroke in younger patients, and a failure to consider stroke in “healthy” patients.
Blood clots: Blood clots have very similar symptoms to other maladies. Blood clot symptoms are often mistaken for those of a stroke, heart attack, or pneumonia.
Internal bleeding: Internal bleeding could be the result of blunt force trauma like a car crash; gunshots or stabbings; vessels that were perforated during surgery; a ruptured aneurysm; a traumatic childbirth; or due to the use of blood-thinning and anti-inflammatory medications. If a patient undergoes any of these things, it is the doctor’s duty to keep an eye out for symptoms of internal bleeding.
Fractured vertebrae: Physicians can fail to detect a vertebrae fracture because of incorrect reading of an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan. When a vertebral fracture goes untreated, it can result in chronic pain and permanent, life-altering injury.
Detached retina: To diagnose a detached retina and other eye injuries and diseases, it is essential for the doctor to dilate the pupil. If an optometrist or ophthalmologist fails to detect and treat a detached retina, it can result in permanent vision loss.
Preeclampsia: Preeclampsia can be fatal for both mother and baby, and the condition can be diagnosed with a simple urine test. If a doctor fails to order such a test, or if the lab results are incorrect, the family has grounds for a medical malpractice claim.
Hypertension: If hypertension (high blood pressure) is not detected and treated, it can cause damage to blood vessels and major organs like the heart, kidneys, brain, and lungs, and can lead to a stroke. Checking a patient’s blood pressure should be part of every visit to a doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital.

Doctors and other healthcare professionals do make mistakes. Unfortunately, this may leave people with severe injuries or illnesses. At Grant Law Office, some of our clients received an incorrect diagnosis, and other didn’t receive a diagnosis at all – or one that came too late. When we go to doctors in good faith, they should not miss the signs of a medical ailment.

Question 2

What Compensation Can You Get?

Accepted Answer

If your dedicated Atlanta medical malpractice attorney can prove that a medical professional's negligence directly contributed to your injury, you may be able to secure a settlement. Here are the most common expenses you can seek compensation for:

Current and future medical bills
Cost of physical therapy and rehabilitation
Lost current and future wages from missing work
Lost future earning potential
Mental anguish and emotional duress
Household and/or vehicle modifications (such as wheelchair lifts and ramps)
Pain and suffering

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