My 85 year-old mother called her family doctor and told his nurse that she was having problems breathing. The nurse told my mother that the doctor couldn't see her until the next day. Never said anything about going to the ER.
The next day, my mother saw the doctor. He took an x-ray, said she had some fluid on her lungs, gave her an antibiotic and sent her home. Again, no mention of the ER.
My mother lives with my sister, and when my sister got home from work, my mother was really having a hard time breathing - she was so weak, she couldn't even stand up. My sister took her directly to the ER.
She was admitted with pneumonia and never got out of the hospital. She died about 3 weeks after seeing her family doctor.
Could this be considered malpractice? Granted, my mother was 85 and had underlying medical conditions (diabetes, pulmonary fibrosis), but I am livid with this doctor for not taking precautions with her. I'm not looking for any kind of settlement from this doctor - I just want to make certain that anyone looking for a doctor in that area doesn't end up with him.
What do you think?
Maya R
So sorry for your loss. From what you describe it may be considered a "borderline" case, since his defence would be that when he saw your mother last, her condition was not that serious.
I am not sure if it constitutes malpractice. You would need to consult with a lawyer to be sure if it is.
Canuck
Sorry for your loss. I think you should report the doctor so that there will be at the minimum a review. The issue is that doctors are supposed to be trained to recognize the severity of patient's symptoms, and recommend actions appropriately. So either your mother's symptoms at the time of visiting the doctor were not yet life threatening or he made the wrong decision. At least with a review, he may change his diagnosis in a future case.
Also, don't rule out the fact that the hospital may have made mistakes as well. However your mother was quite old, and sometimes regardless of what doctors do, when it's time to move on, there is nothing that can be done.
Orignal From: Would it be worth reporting this doctor?
Post a Comment