Medical emergencies are stressful and require decisions to be made quickly without much time for second-guessing. Even well trained medical personnel occasionally become confused when dealing with medical emergencies because some symptoms common to life-threatening conditions may also be symptoms of benign conditions that require little or no treatment. This makes the job of an emergency room or urgent care facility physician, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant or nurse difficult. However, the fact that the job requires quick thinking does not excuse a hasty diagnosis that overlooks a stroke, heart attack, potential spinal cord injury or other life-threatening condition when they are present and a simple test can be performed to reach the proper diagnosis.
People make jokes about doctors who tell them to “take two aspirins and call in morning,” but it’s no laughing matter when that advice is actually dispensed in an emergency room or urgent care facility. Frequently, the classic symptoms of a heart attack present themselves and doctors will still send the patient home with a pat on the head and a prescription for an antacid, without ever checking the patient for the additional signs of a heart attack. Automobile accidents are a primary cause of spinal cord trauma. Even so, an emergency room or urgent care facility physician may fail to recognize the existence of a spinal cord injury and fail to take adequate precautions against further injury.
The Pittsburgh, PA area medical malpractice attorneys of Richards & Richards, LLP, offer free, no-obligation initial consultations in a range of personal injury cases, including those involving medical malpractice and related wrong diagnosis and medical negligence issues. Please contact a Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Lawyer via emailor call 412-261-2620 as soon as possible. If you cannot make it to our Pittsburgh, PA offices, our attorneys can meet with you at your home or the hospital.
