According to a pediatric neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Pediatric Neurology in Ohio, pediatric stroke is among the top 10 causes of death in children. One 15-year-old boy from Parma Heights is an exemplary case study: After he visited an emergency room with symptoms such as difficulty with movement, vomiting and extreme headache, emergency room doctors misdiagnosed him with a severe migraine, and this failure to diagnose his condition properly resulted in delayed treatment. His mother’s insistence that he be transferred to a different medical center resulted in the proper diagnosis of a pediatric stroke. However, diagnosis and proper treatment were delayed by 25 hours.
The boy experienced a second stroke after treated, and this resulted in such incredible pressure on his skull that doctors had to remove part of the it. In addition, he also lost mobility in his limbs and some speech ability. He continues to receive physical therapy treatment today in an effort to fully recover from his strokes.
Failure to diagnose the boy’s medical condition in this case may have resulted in the boy not being properly treated for his condition in a timely manner. Delayed treatment may have increased the severity of the effects of the stroke. While he survived, the expenses related to his treatment and therapy continue to mount.
Victims of a misdiagnosis in Denver may experience unnecessary pain, suffering and medical expenses as a result of medical negligence, but they may have the ability to seek restitution in a court of law. A medical malpractice attorney may help victims and their families explore their legal rights after enduring this type of event and recover compensation to aid with the astronomical expenses associated with emergency room visits, diagnostics and extensive rehabilitation.
Source: ABC News, “Pediatric Stroke Often Misdiagnosed, Treatment Delayed,” Susan Donaldson James, Feb. 11, 2013