Maryland Attorney for Injuries from Failure to Give a CT Scan

If a person is sick, they go to their doctor. If a person experiences a sudden injury, the emergency room is an available facility to seek treatment. In either situation, the sick or injured person anticipates that a doctor will accurately diagnose their problem. When a doctor fails to use all the available methods at their disposal, such as a CT scan, they are liable to misdiagnose the patient’s medical condition. Often, this failure to use the proper testing available leads to severe medical and health consequences.

The attorneys at Rice, Murtha & Psoras understand that doctors and other medical professionals have challenging jobs. However, that does not mean they should not be held accountable when they make preventable mistakes. When rendering a diagnosis without using the full battery of tests available, a doctor could commit tragic errors. If you suffered a serious medical complication because a doctor failed to order the proper tests, contact our Maryland attorney for injuries from failure to give a CT scan. Call (410) 694-7291 to schedule a free consultation to review your legal options.

What is a CT Scan and How is it Used for Medical Diagnosis in Maryland?

Computed tomography (CT or CAT scan) is the most commonly used diagnostic imaging test used by doctors and hospitals in Maryland. A CT scan is a series of X-ray images taken one at a time and combined to form a detailed picture that is more comprehensive than a traditional X-ray image. They provide doctors and medical professionals an invaluable tool to diagnose acute and life-threatening conditions.

CT scans are often used in emergency room situations for head injuries as they are typically superior to MRIs for detecting changes in the brain’s structure, including lesions, hemorrhages, hematomas, and fractures of the skull.

Suing for Misdiagnosis in Maryland Due to the Failure to Give a CT Scan

A person seeks medical treatment because they are experiencing some type of pain, discomfort, nausea, weakness, or another symptom that indicates an underlying health problem. In other instances, a person’s routine examination might show an abnormality. Doctors are charged with the responsibility of taking those initial symptoms and diagnosing whatever illness or disease is causing them.

We trust that our doctors and medical professionals will use all the necessary tests available to determine the cause of our symptoms. Physicians are trained, licensed, and have a wide variety of diagnostics tests at their disposal. Additionally, they can consult with other doctors and specialists. However, there are still thousands of illnesses and diseases out there, and many of them share the same or similar symptoms.

Typically, a diagnosis begins with understanding the symptoms the patient is experiencing and running tests to determine the cause. Typically, a method known as “differential diagnosis” is employed. This is a systematic approach used by physicians to identify the condition by ruling out specific causes or diseases. Because many illnesses share the same symptoms, it is imperative that your doctor thoroughly tests all reasonable possibilities. If a severe condition is misdiagnosed because your doctor determined that your symptoms were the result of something less dangerous, vital treatments could be ignored or delayed, putting your health and, potentially, your life at risk.

One common mistake a doctor can make when diagnosing your condition is not running a full battery of tests, including a CT scan. This often occurs in an emergency room setting, where the atmosphere is chaotic, and many other patients are waiting to receive treatment.

Is Failing to Perform a CT Scan Considered Medical Malpractice in Maryland?

A CT scan can give your treating physician a clear and accurate picture of your bones and soft tissue structure, including your heart, muscles, brain, and larger blood vessels. A common and critical use of a CT scan is for determining if a stroke occurred in a patient. Because the symptoms of a stroke mirror other medical conditions, it is possible to misdiagnose a stroke unless a CT scan is ordered. Given the nature of a stroke, immediate treatment is usually required to mitigate the harm a person suffers. Failing to order a CT scan could result in significant brain damage. Your doctor should be held accountable for such a devastating consequence from a preventable error.

Detecting strokes is only one benefit of a CT scan. Your doctor should be able to detect abnormalities in your body, including tumors, abnormally large blood vessels, and abscesses. Each of these conditions could produce symptoms that appear to relate to other health conditions. However, if your doctor fails to administer a CT scan and a cancerous tumor goes undetected, you could find yourself with a terribly negative prognosis months later. When your doctor’s negligence results in a potentially terminal condition, they should be held accountable through a lawsuit with an experienced Maryland medical malpractice attorney.

CT scans also provide a clear picture of your body for a surgeon before conducting a surgical procedure. This precautionary measure will allow a surgeon to see if there are any issues or problems that could result in complications during the procedure. If a surgical mistake occurs and the underlying problem was foreseeable, you could have been the victim of medical malpractice.

Call Our Maryland Attorney for Injuries from Failure to Give a CT Scan for a Free Consultation

If you or a loved one suffered an additional medical or health complication because your doctor did not administer the necessary tests to diagnose your condition, contact our Maryland attorney for injuries from failure to give a CT scan. the attorneys at the Rice, Murtha & Psoras are dedicated to holding medical professionals liable when they make preventable and costly mistakes. Call (410) 694-7291 to schedule a free consultation.