My son has been having stomach problems since April. He had been to the same hospital several times for the problem. 3 times by squad. The pain was unbarable. He had the same tests done everytime. He had CAT scans, x-rays, colonoscopy, you name it he had it. They have treated him for irritable bowel syndrom, spastic colon, H-pylori, even thought he had chrons decease. The last visit to the hospital they said he had a blockage and they were just not going to feed him until it worked itself out. The pain was untolarable. He was also sepsis. They decided to cut back on his pain medicines to help him have a bowel movement. Nothing happened. He was just in horrible pain. After laying there for 13 days, no food, dying of pain they decided to do exploritory surgery. When they got in there he had a ruptured meckel's diverticulium and a paracolic abscess. I been told that if the abscess would have busted he would have died. He was already really sick. Is this a malpractice case?
2007-12-12 09:09:43 · 3 answers · asked by jimsusierickard 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Let me add also, my son is 23 and now has an temp. ileostomy and had to have a very large open would due to the fact there was so much infection they could not even close the wound. Halfway through his hospital stay he had a horrible nurse that got his medicince changed. They gave him a anxity medicine that made him so delusional he checked himself out of the hospital he he was so sick and out of it they found him naked on the bathroom floor in the emergency room. He was readmitted to a different floor.
2007-12-12 09:13:13 · update #1
Malpractice requires that you be able to prove not just that the hospital made a mistake, or misdiagnosed him, or failed to find the 'right' diagnosis, but that they were somehow negligent in doing so.
From the lists of tests you name, it seems the Dr's were doing everything they could to find out what was wrong, but it proved elusive. Things like soft tissue ruptures and abscesses can be VERY hard to see even on a CAT scan. Doctors are only human. If they do the best they can, and it's not good enough, that's NOT grounds for a malpractice suit - you need to prove that they DIDN'T do the best they could.
Watch the TV show "Mystery Diagnosis" a few times. Some people on that show are undiagnosed for years.
And be grateful, too, by the way.... a *LOT* of medical problems that defy diagnosis are only discovered at autopsy.
Richard
2007-12-12 09:22:57 · answer #1 · answered by rickinnocal 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It won't hurt to try. Contact a few lawyers that handle medical malpractice suits and they will have you submit your son's medical records. They will have a physician review the charts and if they think you have a strong enough case they will tell you.
2007-12-12 09:20:05 · answer #2 · answered by rockergirl20032003 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, go gettem!
2007-12-12 09:13:40 · answer #3 · answered by oldmarine08 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋