Local Law Firms Home > Medical Malpractice Overview > Emergency Room Errors > Defective Laboratory Tests When someone visits the emergency room for urgent care, a diagnostic test is often run in order to figure out what is causing the patient’s symptoms. It is imperative that these tests are conducted properly and that the right tests are conducted in order to properly diagnose a patient. Doctors rely on the results of these tests in order to diagnose a patient. When laboratory results are defective, a misdiagnosis will usually result, causing serious harm or even death to the patient.
Although a faulty laboratory test may appear to be the result of a defect in equipment or technology used when running the tests, in addition to errors or negligence caused by the lab technician, laboratory tests may also be incorrect due to lack of proper communication. A doctor may order a test through a nurse or other medical professional, who then passes it onto to someone else and then finally reaches the individual who runs the test. Throughout this string of communication, messages can be mixed up and vital key points may be left out. Not only can the wrong tests be ordered, but results can be misconstrued and may indicate a patient is fine, when in fact, he or she is not and may have a serious underlying condition. Did you know?
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