Failure to Diagnose a Bowel Obstruction

Medical Malpractice Due to a Failure to Diagnose a Bowel Obstruction in Oregon

 

The digestive system is an important system in the body with many functions, including waste evacuation and breaking down of nutrients. If the digestive system is not working properly, it can lead to serious problems. Serious problem that can occur within the digestive tract include bowel obstruction and bowel perforation. Both are serious and pose significant risks to the affected individual. While serious, if treated properly people can survive often without great deficits. However, if a bowel obstruction or perforation is mishandled, it can lead to serious consequences, including wrongful death.  The failure to diagnose a bowel obstruction is serious.

 

If you or your loved one suffered any type of personal injuries after a failure to diagnose a bowel obstruction in Minnesota or Oregon, call our medical malpractice lawyer for help.  We can help you and your family recover compensation for serious personal injuries including disabling and permanent injuries.  We can also help you or a loved one recover compensation for medical bills and lost wages.  Do not delay, you only have a limited time to file a lawsuit in Oregon.  Learn how we can help you during a FREE consultation.

 

Causes of Bowel Obstructions

 

Bowel obstructions can be functional or mechanical. Mechanical bowel instructions refer to obstructions in which the bowel becomes physically blocked, not allowing the contents to go past the obstruction. There are many mechanical causes of bowel obstructions, including the following:

 

• Ulcerative colitis
• Hernias
• Fecal impaction
• Gallstones
• Diverticulitis
• Typhoid fever
• Presence of a foreign body
• Gastric ulcers
• Crohn’s Disease
• Ascariasis
• Abnormal tissue growth
• Intussusception
• Bowel ischemia
• Partial bowel obstruction
• Volvulus
• Colon cancer

 

The failure to diagnose a bowel obstruction can result in very serious personal injuries.  Individuals with any of these conditions should alert physicians of the possible increased risks.  In fact, healthcare providers should know about these risks already in your history.  That way they can protect you.  When a healthcare provider fails to know your medical history and overlooks the possible complications and risks of a bowel obstruction, it could be medical malpractice for injuries caused for a bowel obstruction.

 

Symptoms of Bowel Obstruction

 

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are many symptoms of bowel obstructions, including the following:

 

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Stool impaction
• Abdominal pain, tenderness, or cramping
• Inability to pass gas
• Inability to have a bowel movement
• Abdominal swelling

 

Many of these signs are obvious and the failure to diagnose a bowel obstruction when missing some or all of these symptoms can result in serious personal injuries or the wrongful death of an innocent person. Victims should be well-aware of these symptoms to help advocate for their position, but also to know when medical malpractice has occurred.  This is because telling a doctor of these symptoms and being ignored, then suffering injuries due to a bowel obstruction, could result in medical malpractice and damages.

 

Complications From Untreated Bowel Obstruction

 

There are serious complications that can occur as a result of an untreated or undiagnosed bowel obstruction. Patients are not asymptomatic of a bowel obstruction, and the above symptoms should be prompt a healthcare provider to properly investigate the causes of a patient’s symptoms for illnesses such as bowel obstruction. Complications occurring from failure to diagnose or treat bowel obstruction include the following:

 

• Peritonitis – This is a serious infection in the abdominal cavity that can be caused by a bowel obstruction. This condition is considered to be life threatening and requires immediate intervention or it can result in sepsis or even death
• Death of tissue – An intestinal obstruction can cut off the blood supply to a certain part of the bowel or intestine, leading to tissue death. When this occurs, it is not only life threatening, but also can require the need for serious, life-altering interventions such as a colostomy. A colostomy is a surgical procedure in which an external bag is attached to a segment of the intestine, allowing the drainage of stool outside of the body
• Bowel Perforation – This refers to a hole in the intestine, allowing stool to leak out. This can lead to serious infections such as sepsis and peritonitis

Bowel Obstruction Medical Malpractice

 

As evidenced above, bowel obstructions can lead to serious harm or even death of the patient. Patients typically present with symptoms that a physician should be able to recognize as symptoms of a bowel obstruction. Unfortunately, sometimes physicians fail to recognize that a patient is suffering from a bowel obstruction, leading to serious patient harm. When this occurs, it is considered negligence. Examples of bowel obstruction medical malpractice include the following:

 

• Failure to recognize symptoms of bowel obstruction
• Failure to appropriately treat bowel obstruction
• Failure to diagnose, including sending. patient home with interventions such as laxatives rather than conduction of proper testing
• Failure to conduct proper testing
• Dismissing a patient’s symptoms, leading to a delay in diagnosis 
• Any serious complication from a bowel obstruction due to a delay in diagnosis by a physician or other healthcare provider

 

Did a Defendant Harm You?  The Failure to Diagnose a Bowel Obstruction is Serious—Call Our Law Firm Today

 

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form.  We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.

 

Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton,  Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles,  St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.

 

We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.