She was not far from becoming a pediatrician when her dreams and potential to help others fell victim to the kind of negligence she was trained to avoid. A 26-year-old medical school graduate went to a Pennsylvania facility because she suffered from an ongoing headache. Her condition worsened, and the patient didn’t survive her stay at the medical center
The patient’s family has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the medical professionals who were responsible for the care of the victim. According to the Pennsylvania negligence claim, the medical facility was understaffed at the time of the victim’s visit, which the family believes contributed to a fatal misdiagnosis.
Timing was not on the patient’s side when she went to the hospital for a headache she claimed persisted for days and days. It was a holiday weekend during which fewer members of the hospital staff were on-duty. The medical malpractice allegation argues that the lack of staff resulted in the failure of doctors to recognize the need for brain-imaging tests to help diagnose the patient’s issue.
Her issue was a blood clot in her brain. The diagnosis of the life-threatening condition came too late following the patient’s visit. She ultimately suffered major brain damage, and her family had to make the life-changing decision to take her off of life support.
Life can change in an instant. That being said and true, medical professionals are responsible to do their best to ensure that they make medically wise instant decisions. In this specific Pennsylvania patient’s case, her family fears that doctors missed various instants when they could have helped save the victim’s life.
Source: The Times Leader, “Malpractice suit filed in young doctor’s death,” Jerry Lynott, Jan. 8, 2014