Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyers: Misdiagnosis Leads to Child’s Death

Posted on October 3, 2016

Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare, regardless of the circumstances. But finding out that the loss could have been prevented makes the tragedy that much more unbearable. Unfortunately, this is what happened to the parents of a two-year-old boy who passed away from complications of a serious, but treatable E. coli infection.

The family had been out enjoying a summer afternoon at a state fair when the toddler suddenly started vomiting and experiencing diarrhea. Initially, doctors told the parents that the boy had the stomach flu. Later, they thought it was an issue with the boy’s intestines, followed by problems with his appendix. While waiting for a proper diagnosis, the boy’s symptoms worsened, including more intense abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Finally, the parents were told that their son had hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, which destroys red blood cells and clogs the kidney’s filtering system. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, HUS can follow an E. coli infection that has attacked the digestive system.

An Accurate Diagnosis Too Late

Ultimately, it was a stool sample that tested positive for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli that helped doctors make the right diagnosis. Unfortunately, it was too late. After being admitted to the intensive care unit of a children’s hospital in Indianapolis, his condition quickly deteriorated. His hemoglobin dropped to zero and doctors were unable to revive his heart after prolonged CPR as a result of the missed diagnosis.

If doctors had diagnosed the E. coli infection earlier, this tragedy could have been avoided. HUS is serious, but treatable, and most children recover without long-term health issues. In fact, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the mortality rate for patients with HUS is less than 10 percent. The symptoms, combined with the boy’s stool sample, could have led doctors to the right diagnosis much sooner.

Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Advocate for Victims of Medical Negligence

Medical malpractice is a serious issue, especially when it jeopardizes the health and safety of a child. If you or a loved one has been the victim of negligence at the hands of a doctor or hospital, you are urged to contact the Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton as soon as possible. We will thoroughly investigate the details of your case and hold the negligent parties responsible for your pain and suffering. We will not stop until justice has been served. For a free consultation, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.

Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent victims of medical malpractice throughout Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Parkville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.