Medical Negligence
Clinicians evaluate and treat multiple cases on a daily basis. While some cases are simple, other cases are very complex and demand an extensive evaluation, including detailed history taking, and meticulous examination. A case of a 38 year-old female with apparent symptoms of pneumonia was presented. The patient was obese and had initially presented to her primary care physician (PCP) with symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. She had been 8 weeks post-partum and had required two days of hospitalization after her delivery due to a severe hemorrhage. Two days after being seen by her PCP, she went to an urgent care where she was evaluated by a physician assistant (PA) for refractory symptoms. The PA examined the patient, and after ordering more tests like a chest x-ray, concluded that the patient had symptoms of pneumonia and started the patient on antibiotics. Subsequently, 3 days later, the patient returned to see her PCP and was encouraged to continue taking the prescribed medication. Unfortunately, a week after her last visit with the PCP, the patient presented to the local emergency department with worsening symptoms, and eventually died at the hospital’s intensive care unit due to a massive pulmonary emboli …show more content…
Upon the initial evaluation, the patient’s PCP should have collected a more thorough history. Given the patient’s history of hospitalization due to an excessive hemorrhage, a profound examination was warranted. According to Danilenko-Dixon et al. (2001), pregnancy and postpartum are periods of increased risk for pulmonary embolism. The PCP failed to properly gather the patient’s history and interpret her symptoms. In addition, he had a second chance to evaluate the patient and misdiagnosed her the second time around. However, multiple complexities exist when evaluating the possibility of a pulmonary
Clinicians evaluate and treat multiple cases on a daily basis. While some cases are simple, other cases are very complex and demand an extensive evaluation, including detailed history taking, and meticulous examination. A case of a 38 year-old female with apparent symptoms of pneumonia was presented. The patient was obese and had initially presented to her primary care physician (PCP) with symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. She had been 8 weeks post-partum and had required two days of hospitalization after her delivery due to a severe hemorrhage. Two days after being seen by her PCP, she went to an urgent care where she was evaluated by a physician assistant (PA) for refractory symptoms. The PA examined the patient, and after ordering more tests like a chest x-ray, concluded that the patient had symptoms of pneumonia and started the patient on antibiotics. Subsequently, 3 days later, the patient returned to see her PCP and was encouraged to continue taking the prescribed medication. Unfortunately, a week after her last visit with the PCP, the patient presented to the local emergency department with worsening symptoms, and eventually died at the hospital’s intensive care unit due to a massive pulmonary emboli …show more content…
Upon the initial evaluation, the patient’s PCP should have collected a more thorough history. Given the patient’s history of hospitalization due to an excessive hemorrhage, a profound examination was warranted. According to Danilenko-Dixon et al. (2001), pregnancy and postpartum are periods of increased risk for pulmonary embolism. The PCP failed to properly gather the patient’s history and interpret her symptoms. In addition, he had a second chance to evaluate the patient and misdiagnosed her the second time around. However, multiple complexities exist when evaluating the possibility of a pulmonary