Any parent who has had a child undergo a surgical procedure will tell you that it is a stressful experience. If your child is on an operating table, you want to be sure that the best surgeons available are operating on him or her. However, even the best medical professionals can make mistakes, and whey they do, it is pediatric malpractice.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), almost one-third of all pediatricians will face a malpractice charge at least once in their careers. The most common child illness linked to pediatric malpractice is meningitis, according to the AAP. Meningitis is difficult to diagnose and doctors often misdiagnose or mistreat it as another illness. An undiagnosed case of meningitis can cause a child’s health to rapidly decline. By the time the doctor makes the correct diagnosis, the damage might be too severe to reverse.
In addition to meningitis, pediatricians often misdiagnose appendicitis as another illness. In girls, doctors often mistake appendicitis as a urinary tract infection. Like meningitis, the damage can be severe if and when doctors finally make the correct diagnosis.
For more information, visit our website on medical misdiagnosis. You are always welcome to call us directly at 504-522-7885 to speak with a medical malpractice lawyer about a free case review.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans medical malpractice attorneys