Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physician

Sample Case Descriptions

Sepsis / Septic Shock

Alleged failure to diagnose and timely treat infection which evolved into fatal septic shock.

Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI)

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat AMI in a patient presenting with chest pain who was discharged and died secondary to cardiogenic shock.

Cervical Spine (C-Spine) Injury

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat a cervical spine injury in a patient who suffered minor neck trauma and was discharged after limited imaging was done.

Appendicitis

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat appendicitis in both adult and pediatric patients presenting to the ED with abdominal pain.

Spinal Epidural Abscess (SEA)

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat SEA in a patient presenting to the ER with back pain and neuro deficits who subsequently became paralyzed.

Aortic Dissection (AD)

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat an aortic dissection in a patient presenting to the ED with chest pain.

Ectopic Pregnancy

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat ectopic pregnancy in a young patient presenting to the ER with lower abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding leading to subsequent death from hemorrhagic shock.

Testicular Torsion

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat testicular torsion leading to orchiectomy in a patient presenting with lower abdominal pain.

Subdural Hematoma (SDH) / Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH)

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat intracranial hemorrhage in a patient with head trauma.

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) / Stroke

Alleged failure to diagnose and timely treat a patient presenting with neurologic deficits. Failure to consider tPA / TNK / Thrombectomy.

Gastrointestinal (GI) Bleed

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat a GI bleed in a patient presenting with bleeding who was discharged home and later died from hemorrhagic shock.

Retained Foreign Body (FB)

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat glass fragments (FB) in a patient presenting with hand lacerations who developed delayed wound complications after the initial evaluation and treatment.

Compartment Syndrome

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat compartment syndrome in a patient with blunt trauma to his extremity leading to subsequent fasciotomy and loss of function.

Endocarditis

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat bacterial endocarditis in a febrile patient with positive blood cultures.

Suicide

Alleged failure to diagnose suicidal ideation with discharge and subsequent suicide.

Meningitis

Alleged failure to diagnose and treat bacterial meningitis in a patient with headache and sinus disease.