Highest-rated Meningitis Misdiagnosis Lawyers

The misdiagnosis of diseases happens more often in the United States than you would think. New research in the journal BMJ Quality & Safety says that an estimated 12 million adults who seek outpatient treatment wind up being misdiagnosed. The same research says that in approximately half of those situations, the misdiagnosis could possibly result in severe damage to the patient.

Meningitis, in particular, is a commonly misdiagnosed ailment. It can be challenging to identify since some of the symptoms that clients present with are connected with various other, much less serious wellness problems such as flu, tension headaches or migraine headache frustrations. Nevertheless, meningitis can advance quickly and also result in death if it is not dealt with rapidly. 

As meningitis misdiagnosis lawyers, we have seen it all. If you or a loved one is dealing with a misdiagnosis, we know it is a challenging time for you. Don’t try to handle the situation alone: contact the medical malpractice experts at Davis Adams for knowledgable, compassionate attorneys who will fight for you.

FACTORS OF A MENINGITIS LAWSUIT

WHAT IS MENINGITIS?

Meningitis is a particularly merciless disease, especially when it strikes children. Prompt diagnosis and medical care are essential to prevent serious and permanent injury or death. 

Unfortunately, deadly bacterial meningitis is often dismissed as a viral illness by healthcare professionals who then choose not to perform the appropriate tests—including a CT scan or lumbar puncture—to rule out a bacterial illness. This can lead to misdiagnosis and allow a dangerous amount of time to pass before proper treatment is given. 

Meningitis, a bacterial infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (meninges), can come in several forms, including:

• aseptic meningitis;
• meningitis—gram negative;
• meningitis—H. influenza;
• meningitis—meningococcal;
• meningitis—pneumococcal;
• meningitis—staphylococcal; and
• meningitis—tuberculous.

The most common causes of meningitis are viral infections that usually get better without treatment. Viral meningitis usually develops in the late summer and early fall, and often affects children and adults under age 30, though most infections occur in children under age five. Most viral meningitis is due to enteroviruses, which are viruses that also can cause intestinal illness. Many other types of viruses can cause meningitis. For example, viral meningitis can be caused by herpes viruses, the same virus that can cause cold sores and genital herpes (although people with cold sores or genital herpes are not at a greater risk of developing herpes meningitis). In recent years, West Nile virus, spread by mosquito bites, has become a cause of viral meningitis in most of the United States.

What’s the Difference Between Viral and Bacterial Meningitis?

Unlike most cases of viral meningitis, bacterial meningitis infections are extremely serious and may result in death or brain damage, even if treated. Indeed, acute bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment in a hospital. Symptoms usually come on quickly, and may include:

• fever and chills;
• mental status changes;
• nausea and vomiting;
• sensitivity to light (photophobia);
• severe headache (often described as “the worst headache I’ve ever had” by patients;
• stiff neck (meningismus);
• agitation;
• bulging fontanelles;
• decreased consciousness;
• poor feeding or irritability in children;
• rapid breathing; and
• unusual posture, with the head and neck arched backward (opisthotonos).

What Tests Should a Doctor Perform to Diagnose Meningitis?

For any patient who is suspected of having meningitis, a doctor should promptly order a lumbar puncture (“spinal tap”), in which spinal fluid (known as cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF) is collected for testing. Other tests that may also be done are:

• blood culture;
• chest x-ray;
• CSF examination for cell count, glucose and protein;
• CT scan of the head; and
• gram stain, other special stains, and culture of CSF.

How Is Meningitis Treated?

Doctors prescribe antibiotics for bacterial meningitis, with the type varying depending on the bacteria causing the infection. Antibiotics are not effective for viral meningitis. Other medications and intravenous fluids will be used to treat symptoms such as brain swelling, shock, and seizures. 

Some people may need to stay in the hospital, depending on the severity of the illness and the treatment needed. Early diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis are essential to prevent permanent neurological damage. On the other hand, viral meningitis is usually not serious and symptoms should disappear within two weeks with no lasting complications.