Meningitis is a serious and often fatal condition defined as the inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the spinal cord and brain. Though there are many types of meningitis, including viral, fungal, parasitical, and bacterial, bacterial meningitis is the most fatal if not caught and treated within 24 hours. Because meningitis mimics other conditions, such as the flu, common cold, and migraines, medical professionals often fail to diagnose and treat meningitis until it’s too late.
If you or a loved one suffered disabling complications because a Harrisburg doctor failed to diagnose and treat meningitis properly, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. Confidentially discuss your claims with a dedicated Harrisburg meningitis attorney at Marzella & Associates.
Reasons Meningitis is Misdiagnosed in Children
Meningitis affects people of all ages, but it most commonly occurs in young children and infants. Kids, especially newborns, cannot adequately describe their symptoms. This is the first barrier to quickly diagnosing meningitis. As such, it’s up to medical professionals to adequately consider and test for childhood meningitis. Common symptoms in children include the following:
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Neck stiffness and joint pain
- Altered mental status
- Irritability
- Inability to wake (infants)
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Red or purple rash
If a pediatrician or emergency room physician treats this condition like the flu and sends the child home, this mistake is often fatal. Medical professionals are trained to test for this life-altering condition, even if it is rare, because of its high fatality rate in kids. If you lost a child because a doctor misdiagnosed bacterial or viral meningitis, you may have a claim for wrongful death based on medical malpractice. A compassionate childhood medical malpractice attorney at Marzella & Associates can help you seek justice for this devastating medical error.
Complications from Misdiagnosed Meningitis
Although bacterial meningitis is often fatal, different types of meningitis (or delays in treating the bacterial infection) often result in severe long-term disabilities. This occurs because of the swelling exerted on the brain and central nervous system, which might result in significant brain cell death and nerve damage. Complications from delayed treatment or misdiagnosis include the following:
- Hearing loss
- Seizures
- Vision loss
- Speech and language impediments
- Learning disabilities
- Difficulty walking
- Amputations due to limb infections
Suppose treatment delays result in one of these conditions. In that case, you may be entitled to seek compensation for medical bills, physical rehabilitation, cognitive therapy, long-term nursing care, and even the pain and suffering caused by the misdiagnosis. These damages might include past expenses and future anticipated medical needs. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer at Marzella & Associates will work with dedicated medical experts to calculate the value of your claims and demand compensation from liable medical malpractice insurers.
Call Our Dedicated Meningitis Misdiagnosis Lawyers in Harrisburg
This devastating condition has claimed many lives and changed many more. Although meningitis is difficult to diagnose, doctors are trained to look for and test for it due to its severity. If you or a loved one suffered because of a delayed or incorrect diagnosis of meningitis, contact the experienced medical malpractice and wrongful death lawyers at Marzella & Associates immediately to protect your claims. Call us now at (717) 678-7966 or contact us online to schedule a free and confidential consultation.