Failure To Diagnose Clot Leaves 2 Children Motherless

Headaches are one of the most common ailments that people experience. Most of the time, popping a couple Ibuprofen or Tylenol will probably do the trick. In other cases, a headache is an indicator that something else is seriously wrong. We know our bodies, and we can sense when we may be experiencing that something else.

When a Headache Can Foreshadow Disaster

A 26-year-old mother of two knew that something wasn’t right this past year when she began experiencing abnormally severe headaches. The pain prompted her to seek medical assistance at her local hospital. After explaining her symptoms, a CT scan was performed and analyzed off site, but doctors explained that the scan didn’t show any bigger problems and she was sent home.

Although she was sent home, there was no relief from the pain. The mother returned later that evening but was quickly discharged once again. Her symptoms continued to develop beyond just throbbing headaches to include dizziness, blurred vision, numbness in her arms and legs, muscle fatigue and even tremors. Three more visits resulted in three more discharges, the last one with a prescription and a case manager.

Less than two weeks after her initial visit, she was once again rushed to the hospital with “the worst pain ever.” Later that evening, doctors declared that she was brain dead.

What went wrong? A medical malpractice lawsuit was recently filed by the young woman’s mother, claiming that doctors failed to diagnose a blood clot early on that would have been “entirely treatable.” Instead, the blood clot developed into an “uncontrolled hemorrhage” that “caused a massive brain herniation” and eventually the woman’s death.

We may be able to sense when something is wrong with our health, but we rely on medical professionals to diagnose and treat our ailments. Physicians in New Haven are not only trained in the field, but they also took an oath and are also under a duty to uphold the accepted standard of care.

Source: Citizens Voice, “Geisinger hospitals accused of negligent care,” Bob Kalinowski, Feb. 6, 2014