Delayed Diagnosis of Sepsis | Hourigan Kluger & Quinn
Learn why delayed sepsis diagnosis can be dangerous and when a delay may raise medical malpractice concerns.
Sepsis Requires Fast Recognition and Treatment
Sepsis is a life-threatening response to infection. When it is not recognized and treated quickly, it can lead to organ failure, limb loss, brain injury, or death.
Delayed diagnosis of sepsis can occur in any medical setting including emergency rooms, hospitals, nursing homes or urgent care settings.
Warning signs may include fever, confusion, rapid breathing, low blood pressure, elevated heart rate, worsening pain, abnormal lab results, or other signs of infection.
Medical negligence may be an issue when providers fail to order appropriate tests, ignore abnormal vital signs, delay antibiotics, fail to monitor a patient, or discharge a patient too soon.
Important evidence may include vital signs, lab results, nursing notes, physician notes, medication records, discharge instructions, and timing of treatment.
Not every poor outcome is the result of negligence. In Pennsylvania, medical malpractice cases, including cases involving sepsis, usually require a medical expert to confirm in writing that a healthcare provider failed to meet the accepted standard of care and caused injury.
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Understanding Your Legal Rights After Medical Harm
Understanding your legal rights after a delayed sepsis diagnosis is important because these cases have to be filed within two years and require detailed review of the medical records and literature to determine if there was negligence and whether the injury or death could have been prevented.
Click here for more information and to review your options.