Mistakes in medical records could result in patient injuries
December 12th, 2018David Bowling of The Bowling Law Firm, A Professional Law Corporation posted in Medical Malpractice on Wednesday, December 12, 2018.
Medical records are important documentation of a patient’s health history, and current and past treatment. Incorrect information in a patient’s medical record could result in serious patient injuries. When a patient requests the help of a skilled attorney in the aftermath of an injury, medical records are the primary source of information. Louisiana patients may be interested in some of the incorrect documentation that other patients have found in their records.
One woman recounted her experience of discovering a potentially dangerous mistake in her elderly father’s medical record. After a move across the country, the woman’s father suffered a fall. The woman had her father’s records in her possession due to the recent move, and she discovered that multiple pages of another patient’s records had been inserted into her father’s file. Fortunately, she was able to remove the pages before the records were turned over to medical professionals who could have potentially misdiagnosed her father based on the other patient’s records.
Another man experienced serious complications following a mistake in his medical records. The man had a mass in his neck biopsied for an evaluation that tested positive for cancer. Unfortunately, the positive result never reached the doctor, and the doctor assured the patient that the mass was a benign growth. The man lived with the mass for six more months before the symptoms prompted him to return for further evaluation. Sadly, the cancer had spread to his spine, and the man died less than three years later.
Important omissions, allergies that are not noted, lab results that are not recorded and medications that are not listed can make it easy for a patient to receive an incorrect medical diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, an incorrect medical diagnosis can result in harmful patient injuries. Louisiana medical malpractice attorneys are able to review a patient’s case and record to inform a patient of his or her legal options to file a lawsuit in civil court to seek financial recourse.
