Syracuse Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog
Children’s Hospital researchers recently announced that a procalcitonin test may help identify serious bacterial infections in children without the need for hospitalization, invasive testing (such as a spinal tap), or medication.
According to Syracuse, New York infection lawyers Bottar Law, PLLC, one of the most significant signs of an ongoing disease process in children is a fever. Most infant visits to an emergency room are for fever. As many as 20% of fevers have no identifiable cause. While a fever may be a symptom of something as minor as a cold or the flu, a fever may also be a sign of a very serious infection, such as meningitis, bacteremia, pneumonia or urinary tract infection. The failure to diagnose meningitis can result in brain damage or death.
As many as 12% of “well-appearing” children in the emergency room are very ill. Emergency room doctors should not rely solely upon whether a child has a fever to determine whether a baby is sick, especially in children under the age of 3 months. In turn, most order a battery of tests, including analysis of blood, urine and spinal fluid. Performing a procalcitonin test may allow emergency room personnel to quickly identify whether a child is at low-risk for a serious bacterial infection.
The trial lawyers at Bottar Law, PLLC, have decades of experience investigating, prosecuting and trying to verdict medical malpractice cases due to or arising out of emergency medicine malpractice. If you or a loved one experienced a problem during or after a visit to an ER, you and your family may be entitled to compensation for lifelong health care, medical expenses, medical bills, loss of income, and pain and suffering.
To discuss your case or concerns with an experienced Central New York medical malpractice and birth injury attorney, contact us now at (315) 422-3466, (800) 336-LAWS, or by e-mail at info@bottarleone.com.