What You Need to Know

All medical professionals are trained to recognize and diagnose symptoms. If they are unable to make a diagnosis based on the patient’s symptoms, then it is their responsibility to determine the root cause. If they cannot make a diagnosis, then they should refer the patient to a more specialized medical professional to rule out any possibilities and determine an immediate diagnosis. Misdiagnosing, or failing to diagnose, and sending a patient home is not an option.

• Causes

  The most common types of diseases and conditions that cause misdiagnosis, or a failure to diagnose, are:

  • Heart attack
  • Cancer (especially breast, lung and colon)
  • Appendicitis
  • Diabetes
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Bacterial meningitis
  • Stroke

  Misdiagnosing, or failing to diagnose, can be caused by many different factors, but a patient should never be left undiagnosed or untreated.

• Consequences

  Misdiagnosing a patient can be the most life-threatening mistake a medical professional can make. Delaying diagnosis can also be a form of failing to diagnose or misdiagnosing a patient. Some diseases are so rampant that failing to diagnose them in a timely fashion can lead to the acceleration and mutation of the disease, sometimes to a point where the patient is unable to benefit from treatment.