A misdiagnosis of any medical ailment can lead to a delay in treatment, the incorrect treatment and a worsened condition. However, a medical misdiagnosis of one of the “Big Three” conditions is especially damaging. These conditions are: vascular events (e.g.: heart attacks and strokes), infection and cancer. When a person in Lake Oswego with one of these conditions is misdiagnosed, they may want to learn more about their options.
How big is the misdiagnosis problem?
According to one study, almost one-tenth of patients exhibiting symptoms of one of the Big Three conditions initially received a misdiagnosis. Some conditions were more likely to be misdiagnosed than others. For example, 2.2% of heat attacks were misdiagnosed, and 62.1% of spinal abscesses were misdiagnosed. In fact, the study found that approximately one in 20 patients suffering from a Big Three misdiagnosis will experience serious harm.
Why do medical mistakes happen?
There is no one explanation as to why medical mistakes continue to happen. Sometimes a person presents atypical symptoms that physicians do not immediately associate with the patient’s malady. The condition itself could be rare and something a physician does not know much about. In addition, a medical mistake could be due to inadequate screening.
Learn more about medical malpractice
Unfortunately, medical mistakes are sometimes made that cause patients significant physical, emotional and financial harm. When this happens, patients in Lake Oswego may want to learn more about medical malpractice claims. Our firm’s webpage on diagnostic errors may have information that patients harmed by a medical error may find useful.