When Doctors Fail to Follow the Differential Diagnosis Method
Doctors learn to use the differential diagnosis method when trying to diagnose a patient's medical condition. But when they fail to follow this method, mistakes happen and injuries occur.
July 17, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- When Doctors Fail to Follow the Differential Diagnosis Method
Article provided by Warner Law Offices PA
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As the adage goes: Everyone makes mistakes. But what happens when a doctor makes a mistake and fails to diagnose a serious medical condition? What can happen to a patient if a doctor fails to follow the standard diagnostic methodology that all doctors are taught early in their medical school training?
Diagnosing Patients Using the Differential Diagnosis Method
Doctors learn early on in their medical school education the need to use the differential diagnosis method when trying to determine the cause of a patient's medical condition. The differential diagnosis method is the foundation for diagnosing and treating patient's medical conditions. When used properly, the differential diagnosis method identifies the most likely medical condition the patient is suffering from, from a list of medical conditions with similar signs and symptoms.
Under the differential diagnosis method, doctors are required to make a list, either physically or mentally, of all of a patient's possible conditions that could be the cause of the patient's medical problem. The list is based on the patient's symptoms, medical history, physical examination, and the results of any preliminary tests or other observations. The possible conditions should be ranked by order of severity and likelihood. Once the list is complete, the doctor is required to go through the process of confirming or ruling out the possible conditions on the list, starting with the most serious potentially life threatening condition first.
For example, a patient that presents with chest pain may have reflux, stomach gas, bruised sternum and heart attack on the differential diagnosis list. Since heart attack is the most serious condition on the list, it should be confirmed or ruled out first before deciding that the cause of the patient's chest pain is a non-serious medical condition. Doctors rule out by ordering or performing tests such as EKGs, blood work, X-rays or a variety of other tests
Once the doctor has confirmed or ruled out the possible causes on the list, the doctor can start the appropriate treatment and/or order the appropriate consults with specialists.
Benefits of Using the Differential Diagnosis Method
Proper use of the Differential Diagnosis Method is critical to the diagnosis and treatment of a patient's illness or medical condition. Its use promotes the safe and effective diagnosis and treatment of a patient's medical problems. It requires doctors to first look at the big picture of what could possibly be causing the patient's problems before deciding on a likely diagnosis. The method promotes the timely diagnosis of a patient's condition so that appropriate medical interventions can be given in timely fashion. There is no question that the earlier a serious medical condition is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome for the patient.
Failure to Properly Diagnose and Treat
Doctors who fail to properly implement the Differential Diagnosis Method will often miss the cause of the patient's problems. When this happens, the appropriate treatments and interventions are not given and the patient can suffer harm in the form of injury and death from misdiagnosis. Other harm in the form of unnecessary and expensive treatments for a medical condition that the patient doesn't have can be avoided as well in most instances.
What Can Happen When Doctors Fail to Use This Method Correctly
The reason that doctors are universally taught the Differential Diagnosis Method early in medical school is because this method has a proven track record for arriving at the correct diagnosis so that the patient receives proper medical interventions and care. When a doctor fails to use the method or fails to use it correctly, the doctor has not provided standard medical care. If the doctor fails to properly diagnose and treat a patient's serious medical condition and it results in serious harm or death, the doctor may be sued for medical malpractice.
In one such case, a woman fell in the hospital and hit her head causing a head wound. The doctor assessed his patient over the phone by talking to the hospital nurses. Rather than consider all the possible conditions that could result from the woman's head wound, he diagnosed his patient's head wound as a simple abrasion. The woman was elderly and was on blood thinning medication. Her head wound continued to bleed. Over the course of a few hours, the woman lost consciousness. Finally, a CT scan of her head was ordered and it revealed that she had been bleeding all along into the space between her brain and the dura which covers the brain. The blood accumulated and compressed her brain causing severe neurological injury. By the time the doctor diagnosed her subdural hematoma surgery could not save her and she died. The doctor was sued for the woman's wrongful death due to misdiagnosis and failure to treat his patient's subdural hematoma.
The doctor should have had subdural hematoma on the list of possible causes of his patient's problems and confirmed or ruled it out with a CT scan instead of just deciding that she had a non-serious abrasion to her head. Had he done so, it is likely the acute blood from the head injury would have showed up on the CT scan and the appropriate medical interventions would have been arranged to stop the bleeding, remove the accumulated blood and save the woman's life.
In another case, an infant developed pus filled lesions on her head shortly after birth. Over the course of the next few days the infant developed a fever, was not feeding well and became listless. The doctor who examined the infant's head lesions shortly after birth attributed them to needle sticks from a monitor. He failed to go through the differential diagnosis methodology and include other possible causes of the lesions including neonatal herpes, which can cause severe neurological injury in a newborn. Neonatal herpes is easily and effectively treated with a safe and readily available anti-viral medication. Because the doctor failed to include neo-natal herpes as a possible cause of the infant's condition and treat with an anti-viral medication, the infant suffered permanent brain injury and will require round the clock care the rest of her life. The doctor who failed to diagnose the infant's condition by properly using the differential diagnosis method was held responsible for the infant's injuries and damages.
When to Contact a Medical Malpractice Attorney
If you believe you, or a family member, have received sub-standard medical care because of failure to follow the Differential Diagnosis Method for diagnosing and treating medical conditions or any other form of medical malpractice, it is time to speak with a knowledgeable attorney to answer any questions you may have and to help you determine the best course of action based on your circumstances.
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