Delayed Diagnosis of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest infections in the world, but it often responds well to medication. A timely and accurate diagnosis is critical to effective treatment. Unfortunately, in some cases, healthcare providers carelessly fail to recognize or diagnose tuberculosis promptly. A delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis can allow the disease to progress unchecked, potentially endangering not only the patient but also others with whom they have contact. If you or a loved one experienced harm due to a delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis, you may be owed damages, and you should talk to an attorney about what claims you might be able to pursue. The assertive Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers of Arfaa Law Group are committed to holding negligent healthcare providers accountable for the harm they cause, and if you hire us, we can assess your case and help you to pursue the best outcome possible.

The delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis can lead to serious and sometimes life-threatening complications. Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection, that mainly impacts affects the lungs. It can also spread to other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, and brain. Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease, spread through airborne particles when an infected person coughs or sneezes, making early detection and treatment critical for both patient health and public safety.

When healthcare providers fail to diagnose tuberculosis in a timely manner, the disease can progress to an advanced stage, causing a range of health problems. Without proper treatment, tuberculosis can lead to persistent lung damage, respiratory failure, and the spread of the disease to other organs. Additionally, untreated tuberculosis can be fatal. Symptoms of tuberculosis include persistent cough, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and fatigue, but they may be mistaken for less serious illnesses, which can contribute to diagnostic delays. Failure to recognize these symptoms or order necessary diagnostic tests in a timely manner can have devastating effects on the patient’s health and quality of life.

A delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis can cause grave harm and, in many instances, constitutes grounds for pursuing a medical malpractice claim. Generally, a plaintiff pursuing claims against a healthcare provider must establish negligence to prevail. In Maryland, this requires the plaintiff to show that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty. The duty healthcare providers owe to their patients is to deliver services that meet accepted medical standards. Next, the plaintiff must demonstrate that the provider breached this duty by failing to perform necessary diagnostic tests, failing to recognize tuberculosis symptoms, or otherwise failing to uphold the standard of care. The plaintiff then must establish causation by showing that this breach of duty directly led to the delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis and resulting harm. Finally, the plaintiff must prove that actual damages resulted from the delayed diagnosis.

In cases of delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis, expert testimony is often required to illustrate what the standard of care demanded and how the healthcare provider’s actions fell short of this standard. For instance, a qualified medical expert may be needed to explain that a healthcare provider should have ordered diagnostic tests based on the patient’s symptoms and known risk factors for tuberculosis.

Patients harmed by a delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis may be able to recover both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are intended to cover the financial impact of the injury and may include medical expenses, such as the cost of additional treatment and hospital stays, as well as lost wages if the delay in diagnosis impacted the patient’s ability to work. In cases where a delayed tuberculosis diagnosis causes significant harm, patients may also be entitled to future medical expenses if additional care is anticipated.

Non-economic damages may compensate patients for intangible losses such as pain, suffering, and mental anguish. In cases of wrongful death resulting from delayed diagnosis, the deceased’s family members may also have grounds to pursue a wrongful death claim, seeking compensation for the loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and other related costs.

When a healthcare provider fails to diagnose a serious disease like tuberculosis in a timely manner, the effects can be devastating. If you or a loved one suffered harm due to a delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis, you may be eligible for compensation, and you should contact an attorney as soon as possible. At Arfaa Law Group, our experienced Maryland medical malpractice attorneys are proficient at achieving favorable outcomes, and if we represent you, we will gather the evidence needed to provide you with a strong chance of success. We have an office in Baltimore, and we serve clients in Baltimore and throughout the state of Maryland. To arrange a free meeting, please contact our office today by calling 410-889-1850 or by completing our online form.