Breast cancer is a pernicious, all-too-common type of cancer that primarily affects women later in midlife. Amazing progress in medical research has made it so that, when properly detected and diagnosed in its early stages, victims of breast cancer have overwhelmingly positive odds of survival - in some instances, up to a 99 percent five-year survival rate. 

But a misdiagnosis and or delayed diagnosis can seriously harm the chances of effective treatment. Left untreated, breast cancer often spreads and metastasizes, causing serious harm and even death. Failure to diagnose breast cancer can happen when a doctor does not order appropriate tests or misinterprets the results. If you have suffered as a result of a breast cancer misdiagnosis, a qualified medical malpractice attorney can help you understand your options. 

How is Breast Cancer Diagnosed? 

Breast cancer diagnoses frequently take place after a routine mammogram screening. Routine mammogram screenings are scheduled without any symptoms or signs of breast cancer - they are done preventatively and the science about how often they should take place is still evolving. 

Going to the dentist is an unpleasant experience for many people. The general discomfort is often compounded by legitimate concerns about a dentist’s competence and ability to fix a situation, rather than make it worse. 

Unfortunately, visits to the dentist can result in treatment that does not meet an appropriate level of care. Physical pain and great financial expense can result from substandard dental treatment, to say nothing of the emotional turmoil patients experience. Sometimes, poor dental treatment can rise to the level of medical malpractice. When this happens, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you determine if you have a case for damages. 

Common Types of Dental Malpractice 

Dental malpractice can cause harmful consequences, especially during more complex procedures like surgeries and extractions. Common types of dental malpractice include, but are not limited to: 

Medical malpractice cases are often appropriate when a medical professional causes harm to a patient by providing substandard care. A significant subset of medical malpractice cases results from anesthesiologist errors during general anesthesia (anesthesia that makes the patient completely unconscious). 

Anesthesia is inherently risky and requires extensive training and expertise on the part of the anesthesiologist. Sometimes adverse effects take place that are out of the control of the anesthesiologist. However, errors are often caused by negligence by an anesthesiologist who fails to provide a proper standard of care. When this happens, the victim may have grounds to file a civil lawsuit. 

What Are Common Anesthesia Errors? 

Anesthesia malpractice can occur during a medical preview before the operation, during the procedure itself, or following the procedure with improper follow-up care. Some of the most common anesthesia errors include: 

Pitocin is a prescription version of the naturally occurring hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin is famously known as the “love hormone” for its important role in helping people bond with each other. Oxytocin also plays a major role during childbirth. When a woman’s body is getting ready for delivery, it produces oxytocin to induce contractions, the major muscle spasms that help push the baby out. 

Unfortunately, Pitocin is not always properly administered and its effects are not always sufficiently supervised in hospitals. This can lead to serious birth injuries for the mother and baby, up to and including neonatal death. This article discusses the uses of Pitocin, the risks of Pitocin, and what potential victims of Pitocin misuse birth injuries can do. 

When is Pitocin Used During Childbirth? 

Doctors sometimes give women Pitocin as part of the labor-inducing process. If a baby is likely to be too large when it reaches full gestational age, or if a woman has certain risk factors like preeclampsia or a stalled labor, a doctor may use Pitocin to begin or speed up labor and delivery. If used correctly, Pitocin will trigger the body to begin contractions or to increase the rate of contractions. 

Patients put a great deal of trust in doctors and medical professionals. They expect to receive quality care, including proper evaluation of their symptoms and effective treatment to address any concerns that may affect their health. Unfortunately, doctors can make mistakes, and when medical malpractice occurs, patients can suffer serious injuries that impact their health and well-being. Diagnostic errors are some of the most common forms of medical negligence, and a failure to diagnose a disease, illness, or health condition can result in a patient not receiving the necessary treatment. In these cases, patients will need to work with an attorney to determine their options for receiving compensation for the damages they have suffered due to these diagnostic errors.

Reasons Doctors May Fail to Diagnose an Illness

Diagnostic errors are among the most common forms of medical negligence, affecting more than 12 million people in the United States every year. Around four million patients per year suffer serious injuries due to diagnostic errors, and these cases result in over 40,000 wrongful deaths. There are many reasons why a medical professional may fail to diagnose a serious illness that could affect a patient, including:

• Lack of experience - A doctor may not be familiar with the unique issues that affect a patient, or they may not have received the proper training to identify certain symptoms or address some types of conditions. To avoid these issues, a doctor should consult with other professionals or refer a patient to a specialist who will be able to provide the proper diagnosis and treatment.
• Testing errors - Medical tests are often necessary to properly diagnose an illness, but if these tests are not performed correctly, a person’s condition may go undiagnosed. In some cases, a doctor may fail to order the proper tests, or they may misinterpret the test results or fail to recognize that results indicate a certain illness. Errors may also occur during the testing process, such as accidentally switching samples from different patients or incorrect reporting of test results.
• Dismissing or minimizing patient-reported symptoms - In some cases, a doctor may believe that a patient is exaggerating their symptoms, or they may fail to fully consider how an illness has affected a person. This is a major concern for patients who are minorities, who are more likely to have doctors fail to take their self-reported symptoms seriously. When a doctor does not properly respond to a person’s symptoms, a serious illness may not be diagnosed in time to receive the proper treatment.

Contact Our Cook County Medical Malpractice Lawyers

If you have suffered harm because a doctor failed to diagnose a serious medical condition, you may be able to receive financial compensation that addresses the ways you and your family have been affected by these issues. At Winters Salzetta O’Brien & Richardson, LLC, we can help you demonstrate that you suffered harm due to medical negligence, and we will fight to make sure you will be properly compensated. Contact our Chicago misdiagnosis injury attorneys at 312-236-6324 to set up your free consultation today.