Untreated Bacterial Meningitis Could be Oregon Medical Malpractice: Portland Birth Injury Lawyers

Why Untreated Bacterial Meningitis Could be Oregon Medical Malpractice From Our Portland Birth Injury Lawyers

Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency and must be diagnosed and treated immediately.  Untreated bacterial meningitis could result in serious personal injury or wrongful death to a newborn.  Failure to properly identify and treat bacterial meningitis could result in catastrophic personal injury.  Our Portland birth injury lawyers explain what bacterial meningitis is, warning signs, and why untreated bacterial meningitis could result in catastrophic personal injuries to your loved one.  While it is fortunate that bacterial meningitis is treatable and curable, it is unfortunate that so many families suffer from undiagnosed or delayed in bacterial meningitis treatment.

What is Bacterial Meningitis?

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that wrap around the brain and spinal cord.  This membranes are important as they help form the blood-brain barrier.  This barrier keeps out a lot of different and harmful bacteria or viruses.  But it is not impenetrable and it can become infected.

Bacterial meningitis is when a bacterial infection causes an infection of these membranes.  While viral meningitis is more common, bacterial meningitis is more deadly.  Bacterial meningitis requires immediate administration of antibiotics and often other support services, like IVs.  Newborns under two-months of age are at a greater risk for bacterial meningitis.

Signs and Symptoms that Healthcare Providers Should Not Ignore

A baby who has bacterial meningitis needs to be immediately diagnosed and treated.  This is because newborns are particularly vulnerable.  A full, blown-out infection usually takes less than 24 hours, sometimes in as few as three hours.  This is why newborns under the care and treatment of healthcare providers need to be properly reviewed and assessed for this serious condition.

The following warning signs and symptoms of bacterial meningitis are important for healthcare providers to not ignore otherwise it could be Oregon medical malpractice.  This includes the following:

  • High fever;
  • Cold hands and cold feet but a warm torso;
  • Bulging fontanel, or the raised, budge of the soft spot on a baby’s head;
  • Shivering;
  • Stiff neck or inability to move or rotate the neck;
  • Irritability;
  • Crying for no apparent reason;
  • Vomiting or diarrhea;
  • Rapid pulse or rapid breathing;
  • Refusing to eat, feed, drink, or otherwise ingest anything;
  • Splotchy patches on the skin, particularly red or dark red marks; and
  • Many other symptoms.

Failing to Diagnose Could be Fatal

Bacterial meningitis is a very aggressive condition which could lead to serious personal injuries or even catastrophic injury.  Oregon medical malpractice in the way that children and newborns are evaluated and treated could result in serious personal injuries including permanent disability.  The failure to diagnose bacterial meningitis could cause the following injuries:

  • Cerebral palsy;
  • Severe brain damage;
  • Vision loss;
  • Hearing loss;
  • Smell/taste loss;
  • Developmental delays;
  • Significant speech delays;
  • Developmental diseases;
  • Wrongful death; and
  • Many other conditions.

Was Your Child’s Bacterial Meningitis Misdiagnosed?  Not Diagnosed?  Ask Our Portland Birth Injury Lawyers for Help

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form.  We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.

Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton,  Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles,  St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.

We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.

Please act quickly, there is a limited time (Statute of Limitations) in which you can bring a claim under the law.

For a free case evaluation

Call

(541) 385-1999 in Bend, Oregon
(503) 479-3646 in Portland, Oregon
(612) 444-3374 in Minnesota

– or fill out the form below –

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