Radiology Errors

One area of medicine that can cause catastrophic injury and/or death to a patient is radiology, and the radiology error may not be known immediately. For example, if a CT scan or MRI of the kidney is read as showing only a benign cyst or stone instead of a mass suspicious for malignancy, then kidney cancer may go undiagnosed and untreated leading to a preventable death. The failure of radiologists to accurately read MRIs and CT scans that show a mass suspicious for cancer happens frequently because of the volume of MRIs, CT scans and X-rays that a radiologist is required to read during their twelve hour shift. Sometimes the radiologist has as little as five minutes to read and report their findings on a MRI, CT scan or x-ray.

Another example of a frequent radiology error is a patient that comes into the emergency room with belly pain and fever that seems suspicious for appendicitis, but the radiologist misreads the CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis as normal. Under those circumstances the patient is often sent home from the emergency room only to come back to the hospital days later with a ruptured appendix and massive infection in the abdomen requiring emergency surgery. In many instances the patient may have to have a colostomy placed because the infection has damaged so much tissue in the abdomen. Had the radiologist correctly read the CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis as showing inflammation of the appendix suspicious for appendicitis, then the patient would have been timely treated before the appendix ruptured and the abdominal cavity became infected.

The specialty of radiology has also branched out in the last ten years beyond simply reading and reporting their findings as to what a MRI, CT scan or x-ray shows. The field of interventional radiology has expanded the practice of radiology so that radiologists are now performing procedures on patients including nephrostomies, coil embolizations, spinal injections and epidurals. Again, if the radiologist does not take the time to carefully review the patient’s current medications and medical history before the procedure, then the patient can be significantly injured. For example, if a radiologist does not know a patient is taking a blood thinner and he or she proceeds with a spinal injection or epidural then the patient may develop a catastrophic bleed in the spine that leads to paralysis and/or stroke.

If you believe that a radiologist has misread a diagnostic study such as a MRI, CT scan or X-ray related to your care and treatment or the care and treatment of a family member or friend please call David Eaton at 813.264.4800 to discuss your concerns. Likewise, if you or a family member has undergone a procedure with an interventional radiologist that resulted in injury please call David Eaton as soon as possible. In Florida, there is only a two year statute of limitations to bring a medical malpractice claim subject to some exceptions. Once the statute of limitations expires your claim will be barred forever so it is important to have your claim investigated immediately.