Acute Appendicitis Medical Misdiagnosis

One of the most common forms of medical malpractice is medical misdiagnosis. In order for an instance of misdiagnosis by a negligent doctor to make for a legitimate medical malpractice lawsuit, the misdiagnosis must result in serious injury or death to the patient. Most instances of misdiagnosis by a doctor result in little more than a patient having to deal with bothersome symptoms for a bit longer than if the ailment had been correctly diagnosed immediately. Most of the time the patient will go back to the doctor if symptoms do not disappear and the doctor can, at that time, correct the diagnosis. Also, many ailments simply clear up on their own. But if the disease or disorder is fast moving and very serious, the delay in treatment time caused by misdiagnosis can be fatal for patients. An example of this is with appendicitis.

For certain common, fast moving ailments,such as appendicitis, it is a good idea to be aware of the common symptoms. Most doctors are very willing to listen to patient suggestions at the emergency room and in cases of misdiagnosis, proper knowledge can be your friend. The symptoms of appendicitis include:

Pain in the belly region--this pain may begin around the belly button
Pain that gets stronger and moves to the right side
The pain continues to worsen and becomes more severe when you walk or cough
Pain in any other part of your belly or your side
Nausea and vomiting
Loss of appetite
Constipation
Back pain
Slight fever
Swollen abdomen

If acute appendicitis is not immediately detected and treated, usually by removing the appendix, the appendix can burst which can quickly prove to be fatal.