Alabama Jury Awards $10M to Family for Failure to Diagnose Meningitis

Alabama Jury Awards $10M to Family for Failure to Diagnose MeningitisThere are few things to make a parent feel more helpless than when your child is deathly ill. You take them to see a doctor and you trust that with the doctor’s decade of training and years of experience helping patients they will know what to do, and do what is best to care for your child. Doctors as human beings are not immune to mistakes. Doctors can misdiagnose or fail to diagnose a disease, which might end up killing the patient.

This happened in a tragic case in Alabama last year, when an infant suffered serious injury after his doctor failed to diagnose bacterial meningitis until it had done devastating damage to his brain and spinal cord, leaving him with permanent brain injuries, hearing loss and seizures. An Alabama jury awarded the boy’s family $10 million for his injuries, which was the largest medical malpractice award in the history of Walker County.

The infant’s parents brought him to the Walker Baptist emergency room on two consecutive days. The baby was admitted to the hospital, but was not given a test to rule out bacterial infection, nor was he given antibiotics. He was discharged despite still exhibiting the symptoms that might suggest a bacterial infection. The next day, according to AL.com, the parents took the baby to their family doctor who immediately gave the baby a lumbar puncture, confirming bacterial meningitis. The baby was then flown to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham where he received treatment and surgeries. In the end, the boy was left with permanent brain injuries, hearing loss and a seizure disorder.

Bacterial meningitis

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe bacterial meningitis as serious and potentially deadly, with the possibility of death occurring within a few hours. An infection can cause brain damage, hearing loss and learning disabilities. The CDC says that babies are at increased risk for bacterial meningitis when compared to people in other age groups, and it can spread from person to person during close contact, especially for those living in the same household. A healthy person can be a “carrier” of the infection and never become sick with it.

Symptoms of bacterial meningitis

The CDC reports these symptoms of bacterial meningitis:

  • Sudden onset of fever
  • Headache
  • Stiff neck
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Increased sensitivity to light
  • Altered mental state (confusion)

These symptoms typically develop within three to seven days of exposure. In babies, some of these symptoms may be difficult to recognize as the baby cannot say that their neck is stiff. In younger infants, doctors look for a bulging in the soft spot on their head, and abnormal reflexes which can indicate meningitis. If these initial symptoms are missed, the disease can progress to seizures and a coma, so parents who suspect that their infant might have meningitis should seek medical attention as soon as possible.

The CDC recommends that the most effective prevention for bacterial meningitis is to complete the recommended vaccine schedule for your child. Also, not smoking and avoiding exposure to cigarette smoke, getting enough rest, staying away from people who are sick and keeping your babies away from people who are sick are the best ways to avoid exposure.