A 7-year-old boy is now blind after contracting meningitis. The boy’s family, however, claims it’s because of the pediatrician’s misdiagnosis. They have since filed suit against the physician for medical malpractice.
The boy first fell ill in October 2009. According to the family, he was experiencing severe headaches. He visited the pediatrician several times and was told he had an ear infection. Later he was told he suffered from migraines.
In November 2009, the boy’s condition worsened and his doctor indicated he was in “acute distress.” However, according to the family, the doctor did nothing further to help.
On the night of November 3, 2009, the boy was found unresponsive. He was airlifted to the hospital, later lapsed into a coma and diagnosed with meningitis. (Meningitis is a bacterial infection that causes the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed.) Three weeks later, the boy recovered but was blind.
The family claims that the boy’s doctor continued to “blow off” the claims, failed to diagnose the condition which allowed the meningitis to worsen. They say that if the doctor would’ve ordered a spinal tap, the condition would’ve been detected, the boy would’ve received antibiotics and would not be blind today.
They have filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the doctor alleging that the treatment provided fell below the reasonable and acceptable standard of medical care as required by law.
As a result of the condition, the boy has also allegedly suffered respiratory failure, impaired speech, seizures and brain damage.
Source: http://www.courant.com/community/cromwell/hc-meningitis-lawsuit-20120117,0,4475050.story