One of the most dangerous conditions that a newborn baby could sustain is bacterial meningitis. This is a life-threatening condition for anyone, especially a newborn. The CDC reports that approximately 500 people are killed each year due to bacterial meningitis. As if this deadly condition was not dangerous enough, Oregon medical malpractice could be a significant factor in determining whether the victim survives or dies due to the bacterial meningitis. This is because a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis could allow it to become irreversible.
There are different types of meningitis, but bacterial meningitis is the most dangerous to a newborn baby. This is when bacteria causes an infection in the meninges, or the membranes surrounding the central nervous system. The central nervous system is the brain and spinal cord. Thus, bacterial meningitis is a powerful infection around the brain and spinal cord. This is simply dangerous for anyone.
But this is particularly dangerous to newborns. Bacterial meningitis affects a newborn by causing severe and dangerous symptoms that really stress a newborn’s body. High fevers can cause serious damage to a baby’s organs, especially the brain. Profuse sweating can also result in dehydration. The combination could also result in swelling around the baby’s brain and spinal cord, which can restrict blood flow and result in a lack of pressure and oxygen. These are horribly damaging symptoms, especially for a rapidly developing baby.
Bacterial meningitis is one of those conditions that doctors and nurses are trained to recognize. It is simply a very dangerous condition and hospitals, educators, and other healthcare professionals stress the important of knowing the signs of this dangerous condition—especially in newborn babies. Thus, when bacterial meningitis is misdiagnosed or not diagnosed, it is usually Oregon medical malpractice and a very big mistake or oversight.
Besides basic oversight, bacterial meningitis is misdiagnosed because of many other reckless or careless errors such as the following:
If your baby was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and your baby has the signs of permanent damage, or if your baby has passed away, you may have an Oregon medical malpractice claim against the hospital and the healthcare providers. Please call our compassionate staff to set up a FREE appointment with our medical malpractice and birth injury lawyer. Our law office is located in Bend, Oregon, and we handle cases throughout Oregon including Portland, Eugene, Salem, Gresham, and throughout Central Oregon, Deschutes County, and more generally in Oregon. We also have an office in Minnesota.
To receive a FREE consultation, please call our Oregon medical malpractice lawyer by dialing (541) 385-1999 or use our easy and convenient “contact us” box at the bottom of our website. If we accept your case, we will conduct a FREE investigation to get you the answers that you deserve regarding your birth injury case.