According to the Patient Safety in American Hospitals, Health Grades 2004, in 2000-2002, 1.011 per 1,000 hospitalized at-risk patients in the United States developed iatrogenic pneumothorax. 18.57% of cases related to iatrogenic pneumothorax resulted in death during this period.

It was also reported that 2,347 iatrogenic pneumothorax deaths were attributable to an incident involving patient safety, which means that 6.99% of all these deaths were related to patient safety incidents.

An iatrogenic pneumothorax is a collapsed lung resulting from medical care or a medical procedure. This is a serious, life-threatening condition that requires immediate treatment. During some surgeries, an accidental puncture or laceration which leads the lung to collapse.

Examples include performing a biopsy, inserting a catheter into one of the major veins on the neck or aspiration of the lung to drain fluid. The treatment of conditions like tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, and emphysema can also result in a pneumothorax.

Diagnosis and Symptoms of Iatrogenic Pneumothorax

The symptoms of a collapsed lung include shortness of breath, chest pain, bluing skin, sudden onset of fatigue, coughing, and increased heart rate. To confirm that a patient has a pneumothorax, a series of tests must be ordered to determine the cause of pain and other symptoms associated with this condition including:

• A physical examination of the lungs so that irregularities can be identified
• A blood test to determine oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream
• A chest x-ray followed by a CT scan to confirm the diagnosis

If a doctor or any other medical professional in NYC fails to act quickly to identify the underlying symptoms, does not interpret the test results properly or fails to order the appropriate tests for the diagnosis of the patient, a medical malpractice case can be pursued by the patient.

What to do if Medical Negligence is Suspected in NYC

When a doctor causes a patient’s lung to collapse, misdiagnoses the condition or does not order proper tests promptly, a medical negligence case can be made. When the doctor’s error causes an injury or death of the patient, the doctor is liable and should provide damages to the patient or in case of death, the patient’s family.

You should keep in mind that if you suspect medical negligence as the cause of iatrogenic pneumothorax, you should immediately consult an attorney with experience in cases such as yours as you may have a limited amount of time to file a case. Your legal representative will review your medical records and other documents with medical experts to determine if you have a viable case against the negligent party.

If you or a loved one has developed iatrogenic pneumothorax due to your doctor’s negligence in NYC, you should immediately seek the help of the medical malpractice attorneys at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff, & Wolff of RMFW Law at 212 697 9280.

What is your side of the story? What do you have to say about what happened? The other side is not going to help you, this is a legal matter now. Give us a call. We know how to win these types of cases. If your case is viable, we will fight for you until we are satisfied with the outcome and do our best to make sure we come to a successful conclusion.

These cases are complicated but RMFW Law knows the tactics required to win these cases.