Pulmonary Embolism, Misdiagnosis & Delay in Treatment

Misdiagnosis of PE in Patients with Lung Diseases & Disorders

Symptoms of pulmonary embolism vary, but the most common symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, low blood pressure, cough, and chest pain.

One of the reasons PE is often misdiagnosed is that these symptoms overlap other lung conditions, like pneumonia or asthma. In fact, patients with PE are often misdiagnosed with pneumonia or asthma and sent home from the hospital or doctor’s office.

Misdiagnosis of PE at Hospitals or Emergency Rooms

In Pennsylvania hospitals or emergency rooms, misdiagnosis of pulmonary embolism often occurs due to the following:

• failure to obtain a complete medical history
• failure to perform a complete physical exam
• failure to monitor a patient
• failure to order lab or diagnostic tests (such as a D-dimer test, venous ultrasound, computed tomography angiogram, etc.)
• failure to obtain a timely pulmonary or cardiology consult
• staffing inadequacies which lead to mistakes

Example: A patient who had recent surgery goes to the ER after passing out at home. He complains of chest pain and low blood pressure. Chest x-ray shows pneumonia. He is given antibiotics and released. The ER staff did not get a complete patient history including the recent surgery. Had the ER doctor known about the prior surgery, the patient would have been assessed for pulmonary embolism.

Misdiagnosis of pulmonary embolism can also occur at a doctor or specialist’s office. For example, a patient who recently gave birth by c-section sees her family doctor complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath. The patient also has pain in one leg. The family doctor fails to consider pulmonary embolism and diagnoses bronchitis. The patient returns home and dies several days later.

Here, the family doctor may be liable for failing to diagnose the PE, and the patient’s ob-gyn or hospital where she delivered may be liable for failing to inform the patient when she was discharged about the risk and symptoms of PE.

Timely Treatment is Critical

In hospital and emergency rooms, patients with pulmonary embolism must receive timely treatment with blood-thinner medications, thrombolytic therapy, and in some cases, surgical intervention. Patients who present with syncope (loss of consciousness or passing out), low blood pressure, bradycardia (slowed heart rate), or poor oxygenation typically require immediate admission to intensive care units. Mortality is often high in these patients.

Compensation for Misdiagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism

Patients and surviving family members may have legal rights to compensation by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital, doctors and specialists. Compensation claims often include medical bills, loss of wages from disability, and pain and suffering. In cases of death, surviving family members may file wrongful death and survival actions to recover for the loss of their loved one.

Related Article: Pennsylvania Court Gives Patients More Time to Sue in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits [Summary: As of October 2019, Pennsylvania’s outer or maximum 7 year statute of limitations law for medical malpractice lawsuits is now unconstitutional. This means patients and their families have more time to file medical malpractice lawsuits in especially complex cases, like failure to diagnose cancer.]

Medical Malpractice Lawyers – Pulmonary Embolism Misdiagnosis or Treatment Delay

Our Pennsylvania medical malpractice law firm specializes in complex medical malpractice claims, including heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and misdiagnosis of cancer. The Morris Wilson Knepp Jacquette law firm achieved a Best Law Firm rating by U.S. News & World Report in the areas of medical malpractice law and personal injury law from 2016 until the rating was discontinued in August 2023.

We’ve gone up against some of the biggest hospitals in Pennsylvania and won millions of dollars for our clients. Contact our office for a free consultation or call (610) 825-0500.

Last updated: August 23, 2023