Oregon Failure to Promptly Diagnose and Treat Meningitis in Children Due to Medical Malpractice

Most people know that it’s quite common for children to get sick. Children tend to get ill more than adults do due to sharing of germs amongst classmates, daycare peers, etc. While some illnesses are easily treatable and just have to run their course, other illnesses are more serious and require prompt diagnosis and treatment in order to prevent serious complications from occurring, including death. One type of infection that must be diagnosed and treated in a timely manner is meningitis. This very serious illness can cause a child great harm, including death if not treated appropriately and timely. When a healthcare provider fails to provide an accurate diagnosis and the child suffers from serious complications from meningitis, this is considered to be negligence and could be medical malpractice. 

What is Meningitis?

Meningitis is a very serious infection affecting both children and adults. While serious, it is generally treatable with aggressive therapy and oversight. Additionally, meningitis can be more serious for children than adults. Meningitis is typically caused by one of two organisms, which includes the following:

• Bacteria – Bacterial meningitis is quite common. Some organisms that may cause a mild infection can sometimes progress to or cause a more serious infection (i.e meningitis). Examples of common organisms causing bacterial meningitis include e. coli, listeria, group b streptococcus, monocytogene, and haemophilus influenza. Generally speaking, bacterial meningitis is often more serious than viral meningitis
• Viruses – Viral meningitis is typically caused by mumps, measles, coxackie virus, herpes virus and enterovirus. Viral meningitis most commonly occurs in children under the age of five, but can strike an individual at any age. People with weakened immune systems are more at risk

Meningitis Symptoms

Meningitis can present in a multitude of ways, but may present as the following:

• Fever
• Stiff neck
• Light sensitivity
• Lack of appetite 
• Confusion
• Excessive crying (infant)
• Vomiting
• Inability to console
• Skin rash

Complications From Meningitis Due to Failure to Diagnose and Treat

• Death
• Blindness or vision loss
• Deafness or hearing loss
• Kidney failure
• Brain damage
• Learning disabilities
• Shock
• Seizures

Causes of Complications from Meningitis Due to Medical Malpractice 

Meningitis is a serious illness that requires prompt treatment. As mentioned above, failure to treat and diagnose meningitis can lead to severe complications including death. There are times when a healthcare provider may be at fault for your child’s complications of meningitis due to medical malpractice. Examples of this include the following:

• Misdiagnosing meningitis as something less benign
• Failing to listen to a parent or child’s complaints
• Providing inappropriate treatment for meningitis
• Failing to perform proper testing to diagnose meningitis
• Delay in diagnosing a child with meningitis
• Misinterpretation of test results when testing for meningitis

These are just a few of the many ways that a healthcare provider may be responsible for complications that occurred due to inappropriate treatment and diagnosis of meningitis. A delay in diagnosis causes a delay in treatment which then leads to complications occurring. 

Was Your Child Diagnosed With Meningitis?  We Can Help Ensure a Doctor Did Not Worsen Injuries For Your Baby

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.