You expect your doctors to take however long needed in order to provide you with the correct diagnosis and treatment in order to cure your illness or mend an injury. When that doesn’t happen, you could end up suffering serious harm. In fact, your life may even be in jeopardy. For example, if you end up in the intensive care unit with sepsis due to a burst appendix, it could turn out that you should never have ended up there. The odds may favor the fact that your doctor missed something or simply didn’t take the time to look, in which case you may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim. You knew something wasn’t right.
The problem with reaching a correct diagnosis is that many symptoms could indicate many illnesses, making it challenging to diagnose appendicitis. For instance, the symptoms of appendicitis include the following:
– Diarrhea or constipation
– Gas
– Loss of appetite
– Achy, dull pain around your belly button
– Sharp pain around the lower right side of your abdomen
– Low fever
– Tenderness when pressure is released on the lower right side of your abdomen
The majority of these signs could be symptoms of an illness other than appendicitis. Blood tests and a CT scan may be needed to help confirm acute appendicitis before deciding on surgery to remove the appendix. If your doctor fails to dig a little deeper, they may miss the cues that you have an inflamed appendix. You could be sent home with the wrong diagnosis and a treatment that won’t help you and may even hurt you. In the meantime, your pain could increase, your abdomen could become rigid and swollen, and you could experience pain on your right side when someone presses on your left side. Based on what your doctor told you at your first appointment, you may or may not go back until after your appendix has already burst.
Emergency surgery may then be required as it becomes a medical emergency. At that point, the bacteria that caused the inflammation of your appendix in the first place now roam free inside your body due to a ruptured appendix. Without the proper medical attention, you could develop severe sepsis, which is a life-threatening condition. Surgery to remove the appendix is often necessary to prevent further serious complications. In any case, you will more than likely require substantial hospital treatment, including pain medicine, and be out of work for some time. You wonder how to make things right. Tracing your condition to a misdiagnosis the first time you went to your doctor could ultimately provide you with an avenue for compensation for your financial losses and other damages the medical error cost you. However, the process may not be quite as easy as it sounds. Fortunately, you don’t have to go through the process alone. For a free consultation, call or fill out a contact form.
How Appendicitis Symptoms Are Overlooked
Appendicitis occurs when the finger-shaped pouch attached to the large intestine becomes infected or blocked. This blockage often leads to swelling, reduced blood flow, and the buildup of infected fluid. Early appendicitis symptoms often resemble other digestive system issues, which makes diagnosis difficult. Belly pain, nausea, and loss of appetite are all common symptoms, but their severity may vary between individuals.
Some doctors may misattribute these signs to minor illnesses or ignore key risk factors, especially in younger children or patients with chronic appendicitis. If appendicitis is diagnosed early is missed, the delay can lead to an appendix rupture – a serious event that releases bacteria into the abdominal cavity and causes dangerous infections.
Why Prompt Diagnosis Matters
A timely diagnosis is essential to treat appendicitis before the appendix bursts. Once a ruptured appendix spills its contents into the body, the situation becomes significantly more dangerous. The infection may spread quickly, overwhelming the immune system and triggering life-threatening complications such as peritonitis or sepsis.
If your doctor failed to order imaging tests, delayed appendicitis treatment, or overlooked classic symptoms, that oversight could be considered medical negligence. Appendicitis is one of the most common abdominal emergencies requiring laparoscopic surgery or, in some cases, open surgery. Any delay in care risks a serious infection and extended recovery.
How Medical Malpractice May Have Played a Role
When a healthcare professional sends a patient home with a misdiagnosis or fails to recognize the early signs of appendicitis, they may be held legally accountable. If left untreated, the infection can cause long-term damage and demand intensive hospital treatment and rehabilitation. In some cases, the infection reaches the digestive and kidney disease systems, causing even further complications.
A medical malpractice claim allows patients and families to pursue accountability and recover financial losses. These claims often arise when a burst appendix occurs due to inaction, lack of testing, or failure to refer the patient for emergency care.
Legal Help After a Burst Appendix
At Davis & Davis, we’ve seen how a burst appendix can result in avoidable suffering. Whether your doctor failed to diagnose appendicitis or didn’t take your appendicitis symptoms seriously, we’re here to evaluate the details and determine if you have a case. We focus only on medical malpractice and bring decades of courtroom experience to help families recover from serious medical errors.
You shouldn’t be left to deal with the aftermath alone. If your appendix rupture occurred because of a delayed or missed diagnosis, we may be able to help. Contact us at (713) 781-5200 or reach out through our contact form to discuss your case.
FAQs About Appendicitis and Medical Malpractice
What are the signs of appendicitis that doctors should never ignore?
Signs of appendicitis often begin with dull pain near the belly button, shifting to the lower right side of the abdomen. Other symptoms can include nausea, loss of appetite, and fever. In some patients, particularly younger children, these signs may present differently, which makes early diagnosis even more important.
Can lymphoid hyperplasia cause appendicitis?
Yes. Lymphoid hyperplasia, which is the swelling of immune tissue in the appendix, can block the opening between the large intestine and the appendix. This blockage may trigger inflammation and lead to acute appendicitis, a serious condition that requires prompt surgery to remove the appendix before it bursts.
How is appendicitis typically diagnosed?
Doctors often rely on a combination of physical exams, CT scans, blood tests, and symptom history to diagnose appendicitis. If there’s any doubt, further evaluation should happen quickly. Failure to do so can lead to a ruptured appendix, spilling bacteria into the abdominal cavity and causing a life-threatening infection.
What happens after surgery to remove the appendix?
After surgery to remove the appendix – whether open surgery or laparoscopic – patients are typically monitored in a recovery room for signs of infection inside the abdomen. The standard treatment involves antibiotics, pain management, and monitoring for possible complications such as abscesses or delayed healing.
When should someone go to the emergency room for abdominal pain?
If pain becomes sharp and concentrated in the lower right side of the lower belly, or if it’s accompanied by fever, nausea, or the inability to pass gas, it’s time to go to the emergency room. These are clear signs that something serious – like appendicitis – may be developing and life-threatening risks are present if it’s not treated immediately.
