Medical doctors and surgeons have much responsibility to shoulder. They must provide the proper standard of care to sick or injured patients daily. They are also responsible for diagnosing medical conditions as accurately as possible.
It is safe to assume that most Albuquerque, New Mexico, doctors care about their patients and strive to serve them well. However, no medical professional is 100% infallible, and doctors make mistakes just like everyone else. Unfortunately, the diagnostic errors physicians make can result in a worsened condition, or even death, in some cases.
Conditions that mimic other disorders
The fact that certain medical problems can look much like other conditions may complicate things for medical professionals. However, they have a responsibility to perform thorough diagnostic testing to uncover the cause of a patient’s symptoms. Some of the disorders and diseases that mimic other conditions include the following.
- Multiple sclerosis may mimic lupus, Alzheimer’s and viral infections
- Lyme disease often looks like influenza, mononucleosis and depression
- Fibromyalgia sometimes mimics chronic fatigue syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis
- Parkinson’s disease shares many characteristics with traumatic head injuries, stroke and even stress
- Celiac disease looks much like irritable bowel syndrome, cystic fibrosis and Crohn’s disease
If you obtain the wrong diagnosis, you will not receive the proper treatment, potentially worsening your condition. Further, getting unnecessary treatments and medications can lead to additional health problems. Even though doctors do not mean to harm their patients, you deserve satisfaction when a medical error injures you or makes you ill.
If a medical misdiagnosis has affected your life, familiarize yourself with the New Mexico medical malpractice laws. The financial compensation you may acquire ensures that you receive help for your medical condition.