What to do about a Pulmonary Embolism Misdiagnosis

Can pulmonary embolism misdiagnosis compensation be claimed if a pulmonary embolism was determined to be the cause of death, and this was not spotted during the week that my husband was in hospital under the care of doctors before he died?

A claim for pulmonary embolism misdiagnosis compensation may be possible for the death of your husband; however whether the success of the claim will not depend on the fact that your husband was in hospital at the time, but whether the symptoms of a pulmonary embolism could have been diagnosed in time to save his life.

A pulmonary embolism is caused by a blood clot which has usually travelled from the legs into the lungs, causing a fatal blockage which prevents the blood from becoming oxygenated. This causes oxygen starvation to other parts of the body such as the brain and the heart. A pulmonary embolism may be able to be treated if medication can be administered in time to break down the blood clot, but this will depend on a rapid diagnosis of the problem. In some cases, a pulmonary embolism can happen quickly, and even with doctors on hand nothing may be possible in time to save a patient’s life. If this was the case, it will not be possible to claim compensation for pulmonary embolism misdiagnosis.

However, if your husband had complained to doctors about experiencing the symptoms of a pulmonary embolism in time for action to be taken, then a claim for pulmonary embolism misdiagnosis compensation should be possible, as the failure to diagnose pulmonary embolism could be considered to be medical negligence. Patients complaining about shortness of breath and chest pain, swelling in the legs, clammy skin and light-headedness should indicate to a doctor that there is a possibility that the cause is a pulmonary embolism. Since your husband was in hospital at the time, he was in the best place to receive treatment had that diagnosis been made.

A doctor should have been particularly attentive to the risk of a pulmonary embolism if your husband had recently undergone surgery. When you husband was admitted to hospital his medical history should have been fully examined and any potential health risks to his health should have been clearly apparent.

It is not possible to tell you if pulmonary embolism misdiagnosis compensation can be claimed without seeing the medical records of your husband and assessing the circumstances which led to a misdiagnosis. You should speak with a medical negligence solicitor at the earliest possible opportunity about making a pulmonary embolism misdiagnosis compensation claim, and explain in detail everything you can remember about the circumstances before your husband’s death. You should also make an NHS complaint in order to get answers on how your husband was not accurately diagnosed.