Pulmonary Embolism Medical Malpractice
A pulmonary embolism is a sudden blockage of a blood vessel such as an artery in the lung, caused by a blood clot. In a majority of cases, the clots are small and do not result in any damage. However, if the clot is larger and blocks the flow of blood to the lung, it can cause catastrophic consequences, including death. The hallmark symptoms associated with pulmonary embolism are an acute onset of shortness of breath and a sharp chest pain that worsens upon inspiration (breathing) or coughing. Other symptoms that have been documented include excessive perspiration, lightheadedness or fainting, elevated heart rate or heart palpitations and feelings of anxiety. The clots that eventually get stuck in a blood vessel more often than not do not originate in the lung or even the heart. Instead, they are caused by pieces of clots that break off of a bigger clot in the legs or abdomen and travel up through the body all the way to the lungs.
The sobering truth of PE cases is that the majority of patients who die from pulmonary embolism are patients who are never treated for pulmonary embolism.
But, too often, patients with shortness of breath and other distinct risk factors for PE that read like a billboard end up with a diagnosis of a panic attack, anxiety, or something else less serious.
That seems to be the problem, really, with many misdiagnosis cases. Doctors fail to rule out the worst of the potential problems and then arrive at the less severe diagnosis. It takes time and energy to take the appropriate steps to rule out more serious life-threatening problems. In one study, researchers found just how easy a pulmonary embolism can be to diagnose if the doctors see what is there to be seen.
A chest x-ray might help a physician rule out pulmonary embolism because there are no changes in the blood vessel patterns after embolism and signs of pulmonary infarction. So might a blood test, an electrocardiogram, d-dimer, and ultrasound, pulmonary angiography, lung perfusion scan, or a CT angiogram.
Sometimes the easy answer, "Oh, she's anxious and hyperventilating, there is no need to look any further" leads to failure to accurately diagnose medical malpractice lawsuits.
When a physician, physician assistant (PA), or nurse practitioner (NP) doesn't implement appropriate DVT preventive measures, or fails to diagnose or treat DVT promptly, it may be medical malpractice.
Can a Pulmonary Embolism Be Misdiagnosed?
A pulmonary embolism is something that is frequently misdiagnosed for other more common conditions. The misdiagnosis frequently occurs is hospital emergency room setting where the patient reports symptoms such as chest pain or difficult breathing that are diagnosed as something else without additional testing. Pulmonary embolism is one of the leading causes of preventable death in hospitals.
What Is Pulmonary Embolism Often Mistaken For?
The symptoms of a pulmonary embolism are sometimes mistaken for signs of other more common conditions such as lung cancer, pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, myocardial infarction and other cardiopulmonary problems that cause chest discomfort.
Can a Chest X-Ray Show a Pulmonary Embolism?
Chest x-rays are not an effective means of diagnosing a pulmonary embolism because clots in the blood will not show up on x-ray images. Chest x-rays are still a useful diagnostic tool because they can find or rule out other related conditions such as pneumonia or lung fluid.
What Diagnostic Test Should be Used to Find a Pulmonary Embolism?
The most accurate way to diagnose a pulmonary embolism is with a CT pulmonary angiography. This test is highly accurate, however, it is invasive and very costly to perform. Less invasive methods of diagnosing a PE include:
- Blood tests
- Chest x-rays
- Ultrasound
- MRI
Do Doctors Frequently Get Sued for Failure to Diagnose Pulmonary Embolism?
Yes. Misdiagnosis of pulmonary embolism is a very common type of medical malpractice claims, especially in emergency room situations. A common example is a patient comes to the ER with complaints of abdominal pain and they get diagnosed with an upset stomach or panic attack only to find they have PE.
What Is the Most Common Diagnosis When Misdiagnosing a Pulmonary Embolism?
Yes. Misdiagnosis of pulmonary embolism is a very common type of medical malpractice claims, especially in emergency room situations. A common example is a patient comes to the ER with complaints of abdominal pain and they get diagnosed with an upset stomach or panic attack only to find they have PE.
A pulmonary embolism is one of the common preventable causes of hospital deaths in America. Health care providers are trained to identify risk factors for PE such as: pregnancy, prolonged immobility, hospitalization, major surgery, admission to ICUs, 60 years of age or older, cancer, obesity, smoking, prior history of PE or deep vein thrombosis or other certain medical conditions. Doctors and hospitals typically will prescribe anti-coagulants (blood thinners) as a defense to PE. The use of anticoagulants alone, however, is insufficient to protect all patients from PE. Doctors must monitor patients for signs of developing clots in the legs (known as deep vein thrombosis or DVT). Those signs include pain, swelling, warmth, and redness of calf or thigh – especially if just in one leg.
In order to hold a doctor or hospital liable for medical malpractice in the case where a patient has been injured or died following a PE, a plaintiff typically must show that the doctor failed to appreciate clear signs and symptoms of either DVT or PE and/or failed to timely treat them. This requires a careful analysis of the patient's medical records and recorded complaints or observations noted in their medical chart regarding their condition. Deaths from a pulmonary embolism are often sudden. Despite the suddenness of the ultimate event, these deaths are easily preventable if careful monitoring and treatment is deployed for all at risk patients.
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