When Robert B. Takla, MD, MBA, FACEP, chief of the Emergency Center at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, MI, was named in a lawsuit early in his career, he was certain he hadn't breached the standard of care, though the same may not have been true regarding one of his emergency physician (EP) colleagues.
Abdominal pain is an exceedingly common presentation in the emergency department. Every clinician fears missing the diagnosis of appendicitis. Children are particularly challenging since appendicitis is less common, and the history and physical may be subtle. The diagnostic use of CT is not without its risks and must be balanced against the potential risk of appendicitis in each individual patient. This article provides a comprehensive review of appendicitis in children.
If an ED patient dies because she doesn't take antibiotics, as instructed by the emergency physician (EP), this doesn't mean that her family won't later sue for medical malpractice.