The radiologist is responsible for running tests on patients and officially diagnosing their conditions.
We often associate negligence and medical malpractice with doctors. However, nurses, anesthesiologists, and even radiologists can be at fault for a medical mistake. The radiologist is responsible for testing and studying results to diagnose an injury or illness. A mistake in administering or interpreting these tests could result in misdiagnosis, leading to the wrong treatments. Here is what you need to know about radiology mistakes.
Perceptual Errors
This is the most common of the three types of radiology mistakes, accounting for 70& of errors in misdiagnosing a patient. A perceptual error means that the radiologist did not see what was in the film. Here are some examples:
- A radiologist finds one abnormality and doesn’t continue to look for any more
- Failure to see a fracture in a bone
- Failure to see cancer cells
- Failure to see a brain bleed
Cognitive Errors
These radiology mistakes make up the other 30% that leads to misdiagnosis. This is when the radiologist sees what is in the film, but doesn’t interpret it correctly. A radiologist could perceive a test as normal when there really was a problem present (failure to diagnose ) and they can also mistakenly read a normal test as abnormal. The other common cognitive error is misreading a mammogram.
Radiation Levels
This radiology mistake occurs when the radiologist gives too much radiation during testing. This could be a result of not following proper safety procedures such as covering the patient’s body with an apron when doing x-rays. The room itself also needs to be properly protected so that overexposure doesn’t occur. The calibration of the machine has to be regulated as well. All of these things can lead to a patient being overexposed to radiation, which can cause injury. This radiology mistake is very hard to prove in a medical malpractice case because oftentimes, radiation exposure doesn’t become apparent until years later.
Have You Or A Loved One Suffered Injuries As A Result Of Medical Malpractice? Contact The Snyder Law Group Today
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