What are the most common misdiagnoses in ERs?
There are 7.4 million misdiagnoses each year in hospital ERs, potentially causing preventable harm to an estimated 2.6 million patients, according to a recent study by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Researchers reviewed at 300 different studies published from January 2000 to September 2021 and found that nearly 6% of 130 million ER patients annually – or about one in 18 – receive the wrong diagnosis, increasing the chances of permanent disability or death. The ER rates are on par with those numbers seen in primary care and inpatient settings.
The study identified the top five misdiagnoses in ERs during that timeframe. These represent 39% of all serious harm from a misdiagnosis.
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Aortic aneurysm/dissection (a tear in the wall of the body's main artery).
- Spinal cord compression/injury
- Blood clot in a vein
When symptoms were not specific or typical, it was more common to lead to a misdiagnosis. Stroke was missed 17% of the time. However, for stroke patients who presented with dizziness and vertigo as symptoms, the diagnosis was missed 40% of the time. Women and patients of color were at a 20-30% increased risk of having the wrong diagnosis, according to the researchers.
Misdiagnosis and missed diagnoses happen more often than you may think. If you suspect that you or a loved one is a victim of a medical mistake at a hospital or doctor’s office, contact a top Philadelphia attorney for misdiagnosis cases. In the last few years, almost every teaching hospital in the city of Philadelphia has paid 8-figure verdicts and settlements to clients of Tom Duffy.