Misdiagnosis: Failure to Recognize a Deadly Bacterial Infection
What first appeared to be a minor cut on his arm wound up costing the young boy his life.
NEW YORK, NY, July 28, 2012
Based on recent news reports and articles, Rory Staunton was a normal energetic and highly inquisitive 12-year-old boy. He passionately pursued interests like basketball and flying while wrestling with the daily hassles of homework. Few people outside his inner circle of family and friends would probably know about him now if he hadn't injured himself while playing basketball at school and developed a deadly bacterial infection.All concerned parents should stop and read about what happened to young Rory in hopes of preventing the same type of tragedy from claiming their own child's life.
Questionable professional monitoring of Rory's condition, coupled with the common emergency room assumption that many patients' health complaints are rather minor, played a key role in this boy's death.
A National Epidemic of Deadly Hospital Errors
"According to the Institute of Medicine, preventable medical errors kill as many as 98,000 Americans every year, and injure countless more. If the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) were to include preventable medical errors as a category, it would be the sixth leading cause of death in America."
While most doctors and hospitals perform their jobs competently, far too often, efforts to quickly treat and release most emergency room patients can prove deadly. Physicians see so many cases of flu-like symptoms that they often move too fast to diagnose new ER patients with similar, minor conditions. Ailing patients whose symptoms are more obscure or develop less rapidly are in serious jeopardy of being discharged without a proper diagnosis.
How Rory's Fate Became Sealed
Like most careful adults, Rory Staunton's parents took his pain complaints seriously. They took him to his regular pediatrician the day after he cut his arm while playing basketball at school. According to the New York Times, his doctor referred the boy's family to NYU Langone Medical Center for further care. Unfortunately, the hospital failed to recognize the signs and symptoms of Rory's severe septic infection. Instead, he was sent home with aftercare instructions for a child only battling an upset stomach and dehydration.
Had Rory's lab test results all come back and been carefully analyzed before he was sent home, he might still be alive today. "Bacteria had gotten into his blood probably through the cut on his arm." The infection kept progressing and the boy's body began "producing vast quantities of cells that combat bacterial infection, a warning that sepsis could be on the horizon." (Once sepsis invades the blood, septic shock can develop, shutting down vital body processes and organs).
After he returned home, Rory's suffering continued. His mother called his pediatrician back the next day. She suggested that they take their son back to the emergency room.
During Rory's return visit to NYU Langone Medical Center, his condition kept worsening. The boy endured high fever and his blood eventually stopped clotting. His body even stopped passing urine and his heart had to be restarted twice. A third attempt to revive the boy failed and he passed away.
General Advice for Limiting the Chances of a Misdiagnosis
If this young boy's case were unique, it would still be a tragedy. Unfortunately, all children's parents must realize that hasty medicine and quick answers often prove injurious if not deadly. By keeping in mind the following suggestions, you might be able to obtain more favorable care for your child.
- Always demand that any hospital treating your child confirm that all lab tests run have been completed and that the results have been fully analyzed before allowing the doctor to discharge your child;
- If you personally believe the doctor's diagnosis is wrong, either ask that another doctor at the same hospital provide an independent opinion or immediately take your child to another nearby hospital, preferably one that specializes in caring for extremely ill children; and
- Always ask if the hospital will admit your child for further observation. If that request is denied, at least ask that your sick child be observed for a longer period of time in the emergency room before being discharged.
New York Malpractice Lawyers
Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff, L.L.P.
122 E. 42nd Street, Suite 3800
New York, NY 10168
Telephone: 212-697-9280
www.nycaccident.com