Sepsis Misdiagnosis: A Leading Cause of Preventable Death

Sepsis contributes to roughly one in three hospital deaths in the United States, according to research published in JAMA Network Open. [JAMA] Despite its prevalence and severity, healthcare providers often fail to recognize sepsis in its early stages, thereby allowing it to progress and wreak havoc on a person’s body.

Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to infection triggers widespread inflammation that can damage organs and tissues. Without prompt treatment, the condition can progress rapidly to septic shock, organ failure, and death.

Early signs and symptoms of sepsis may resemble less serious illnesses. Patients may experience fever, chills, rapid breathing, confusion, fatigue, or severe pain. Because these symptoms can overlap with many other conditions, healthcare providers must carefully evaluate patients and monitor changes in their condition.

Research has shown over and over again that, when sepsis is recognized early and treated appropriately, patients survive. When diagnosis is delayed, however, the infection can spread quickly throughout the body, causing irreversible damage.

Studies have shown that each hour of delay in administering appropriate antibiotics can significantly increase mortality for patients with severe sepsis. For this reason, hospitals are expected to follow strict protocols designed to identify and treat sepsis as quickly as possible.

Medical malpractice may occur when providers fail to recognize symptoms, delay diagnostic testing, or do not respond appropriately to signs that a patient’s condition is deteriorating. In some cases, abnormal vital signs, laboratory results, or patient complaints are overlooked or not investigated in time.

Determining whether a delayed sepsis diagnosis constitutes malpractice requires detailed review of the patient’s medical records and treatment timeline. Attorneys often work with medical experts to evaluate whether healthcare providers met the accepted standard of care and whether earlier treatment could have changed the outcome.

Families affected by severe sepsis often struggle to understand how a condition that began as a treatable infection could escalate so quickly. Reviewing the medical record may help clarify whether earlier recognition and treatment could have prevented the harm.

CHH is the only law firm focused entirely on medical malpractice in Chicago and the Chicagoland region. Our team of attorneys has handled dozens of cases involving the failure to diagnose and/or appropriately treat sepsis.  We provide confidential, no obligation case evaluations to help patients and families understand whether negligence may have contributed to a serious medical injury.