Why do doctors misdiagnose diabetes?

Posted in Firm News, Medical Malpractice on July 27, 2021

Feeling symptoms such as increased thirst, blurred vision and frequent urination, you sought medical care. However, the doctor mistook diabetes for another condition, delaying you from receiving the medical treatment you needed. Unfortunately, misdiagnosis of diabetes occurs all too often. According to a study published in the Clinical Diabetes journal, physicians misdiagnosed type 1 diabetes in 39% of adult patients.

Various factors may contribute to physicians misdiagnosing diabetes in adults.

Failure to identify nonspecific symptoms

The misdiagnosis of diabetes sometimes occurs due to the nonspecific nature of the symptoms reported by patients. For instance, signs such as frequent urination and nausea and vomiting may also indicate a potential urinary tract, kidney or other such infection, as well as various other ailments. If patients test positive for conditions or medical providers otherwise settle on a diagnosis based on their examinations, then they may not continue testing to get to the root of the issue.

Misidentification of diabetes type

Often, physicians may misdiagnose the type of diabetes from which a patient suffers. For example, your doctor may diagnose you with type 2 diabetes when you have type 1 diabetes. Although subtypes of the same condition, the treatments for these disorders may differ substantially. Withholding appropriate treatment due to a misdiagnosis may cause potentially serious or fatal issues such as diabetic ketoacidosis.

Delaying your diabetes diagnosis because of medical errors may lead to serious complications with lasting effects. However, options exist for you to recover compensation for your associated losses, including your medical expenses and lost wages, as well as your emotional pain and suffering. For more information, contact our Seattle medical malpractice lawyers today.