Compartments are areas of the body (primarily in the limbs) where bundles of muscles along with arteries, veins and nerves are enclosed by tough tissue called fascia. A sudden build-up of fluid within a compartment will increase the pressure on the enclosed structures and cause damage that can be irreversible if the pressure is not promptly reduced. The affected area of the body can become useless or severely impaired.
Compartment syndrome is usually caused by bleeding into the compartment, or by infection, but it can also occur from swelling from a clotted and inflamed vein.
Treatment of compartment syndrome is not difficult, if recognized, and it involves making an opening in the fascia to reduce the pressure. Of course the underlying cause must be treated as well.
A doctor’s failure to diagnose compartment syndrome usually occurs because he or she does not consider the possibility that the condition exists.
The failure to consider is a common type of error that we at Cirignani Heller & Harman frequently encounter. It occurs when a doctor fails to systematically exclude all other reasonably likely causes for a medical condition before reaching a diagnosis. If you feel that this type of error in diagnosis may have occurred during your care or that of a loved one, we would be happy to discuss the situation with you.
Failure to Diagnose Meningitis
We have the capacity to effectively handle cases involving failure to diagnose meningitis. Meningitis is a serious infection that can occur without warning in a healthy child or young adult (less commonly in older persons). Either bacterial or viral, it causes severe inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord and can be life threatening. When it occurs, it is considered to be a medical emergency. Health care providers must respond immediately to prevent catastrophic brain injury or spinal cord injury. Failure to diagnose meningitis and to treat it according to the standard of care can cost a patient his or her life.
You can speak with a lawyer who is also a medical doctor by calling 12-346-8700. You may also contact us online.