The human appendix is a small tube-shaped sac that is located at the base of the large intestines. Despite its existence, doctors don’t really know what purpose the appendix serves as people can live without an appendix. What is clear is that when problems occur with the appendix, prompt diagnosis and medical intervention is necessary.
Appendicitis is a common medical term used to describe a condition in which an individual’s appendix becomes infected and inflamed. An individual suffering from appendicitis typically has severe and painful symptoms which often lead them to seek medical attention. If an individual’s appendix ruptures, the results can be painful and life-threatening.
A Joliet-area man recently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against a Naperville hospital formisdiagnosing his son’s appendicitis. According to court documents, suffering severe lower abdominal pain, the boy saw members of the medical staff at the hospital. At that time, a doctor diagnosed the boy as suffering from gastroenteritis and he was discharged and sent home.
The boy’s appendix subsequently burst. This medical emergency caused the boy to suffer great physical pain, harm and injury. In an attempt to repair the damage caused by the ruptured appendix, the boy was forced to undergo numerous surgical procedures in which damaged portions of his intestines were removed.
In the lawsuit, the boy’s father asserts the doctor and hospital were negligent in misdiagnosing his son’s appendicitis and in failing to treat his life-threatening condition. As a direct result of this medical malpractice, the boy suffered permanent and debilitating injuries and incurred thousands of dollars in medical costs.
Source: The Herald-News, “Lawsuit: Doctor misdiagnosed appendicitis,” Janet Lundquist, Oct. 23, 2013
