Misdiagnosis and Other Problems Are Possible When Medical or Lab Tests Are Erroneous

Connecticut patients may be aware that misdiagnosis and other problems are possible when medical or lab tests are erroneous. Sadly, a mistake or a misdiagnosis of this nature is not uncommon and can lead to serious issues for the patient. In some cases, patients are diagnosed with the incorrect illness and end up receiving unneeded treatment. Not only is this dangerous, patients may be increasingly frustrated when their discomfort or pain does not go away.

A recent study reported by the American Journal of Clinical Pathology suggests these errors can have a serious impact. The study looked at over 13,000 prostate cancer biopsies and found that at least 3.5 percent of them were negative. Essentially, this means that there are certainly men receiving chemo, radiation and other treatments for a cancer that they do not actually have.

DNA mixups in laboratories are one of the main ways that a misdiagnosis occurs. One small girl was diagnosed with a serious illness, one that could leave her dead, when all she needed was to see an ENT to have her tonsils removal. There should be a series of checks, balances and other precautions to prevent these mistakes from ever occurring.

A misdiagnosis of any sort could be considered medical malpractice. Victims of these types of medical mistakes could be eligible for financial compensation due to any monetary damages sustained. Patients should always be proactive in their healthcare, especially if they believe that they were misdiagnosed or received the wrong treatment. If a Connecticut individual believes that they have needlessly suffered because of an error, it could be beneficial to explore all legal options.

Source: Poughkeepsie Journal, “Medical test mistakes pose serious risk“, Lisa Iannucci, June 1, 2014