A misdiagnosis settlement involving a missed heart block diagnosis and its repercussions for patient safety.
Patient admission and diagnosis
An elderly man was admitted to hospital suffering from chest pains and dizziness. An ECG was performed, and the assessing doctor, who was in a junior position, diagnosed partial heart block. A suitable treatment plan was implemented based on this diagnosis.
Misdiagnosis and consequences
Unfortunately, the junior doctor’s interpretation of the patient’s ECG was incorrect. The patient’s heart had, in fact, been in total heart block, meaning it was not beating in the correct way. The appropriate treatment in this case would have been the insertion of a pacemaker.
Missed opportunities and patient deterioration
Despite the patient’s worsening condition, several opportunities for more senior doctors to intervene were missed. Three days after his admission, the patient suffered a cardiac arrest and died.
Hospital admission of error
Following an internal review, the hospital admitted that the patient’s treatment had been incorrect. They acknowledged that had his condition been diagnosed correctly, he would have survived.
Legal outcome
Tees law successfully pursued a claim on behalf of the patient’s estate. Liability was admitted, and our medical negligence solicitor Sarah Stocker recovered £13,000 in compensation.
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