Misdiagnoses of Pediatric Stroke Damaging

February 21, 2013 | Crandall & Pera Law
Misdiagnoses of Pediatric Stroke Damaging

Delayed treatment after an emergency room misdiagnosis could have cost a Parma Heights, Ohio teen his life last April.

When James Finnerty, a 15-year-old rugby player, exhibited symptoms including a piercing pain in his head and vomiting, the ER doctors where he sought treatment assumed he had a severe migraine. When his mother insisted he be transferred to Cleveland Clinic 25 hours later, it was discovered he had suffered a stroke.

About 3,000 children a year will suffer a stroke, which is also one of the top 10 causes of death among children. The average delay in diagnosis of pediatric stroke cases is 28 hours, wasting precious time when a child could get life-saving medication.

James had to have part of his skull removed to relieve the pressure of the intense swelling in his brain and, in a second stroke, lost the use of speech and his limbs, from which he is now luckily on the road to recovery.

Because his diagnosis was delayed to the point of herniation to the brain, the chance of James dying was "really high," according to Dr. Neil Friedman, a pediatric neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Read the full details here:

Pediatric Stroke Often Misdiagnosed, Treatment Delayed

Medical malpractice that includes the failure to diagnose stroke in all ages leads to devastating injuries to the stroke victim and their entire family. As the stroke victim suffers irreversible brain damage or paralysis, staggering medical care costs make caring for the stroke victim difficult.

If you or someone you love has been injured by medical malpractice, including misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis,  call the professionals at Crandall & Pera Law for a free consultation.