Cases are emerging where Medical professionals are underestimating the severity of patient’s Asthma condition while in hospital care, with some instances leading to serious, life-long injuries.
Asthma is killing over 400 Australians a year however, only a third of Aussies know that it is a life threatening condition. Sadly, it’s not just the general public who are underestimating Asthma’s life-threatening status, with some medical professionals also failing to give the disease the attention it deserves.
“We have recently seen a few cases where asthma sufferers are not having their disease managed while under the care of medical professionals.” says Felix Blumer, Director at Blumers Lawyers.
“Oftentimes the patient is in hospital for an issue unrelated to their asthma diagnosis, and because of this, the daily management of their chronic condition is sometimes sidelined or ignored completely.” he says.
Asthma is a chronic lung condition, affecting one in nine Australians. The severity and symptoms of the condition vary but typically include shortness of breath, chest tightness, whistling or wheezing when breathing, and a persistent cough.
With changes in the weather, illnesses such as a cold or the flu, pet hair, physical exercise and common household cleaning products being just a couple of the many triggers asthmatics can be affected by, it is a serious condition that needs constant management.
While asthma cannot be cured, most sufferers can manage their symptoms with medication, lifestyle changes and daily management plans. Despite best efforts to keep the disease at bay, when asthma is not under control and appropriately managed, more serious complications can occur. This can include pneumonia, collapsing of the lungs, respiratory failure, severe asthma attacks that do not respond to treatment or medication, and potentially death.
“We are currently dealing with a case where the seriousness of a child’s asthma condition was underestimated and due to this, he did not receive adequate hospital care.” says Blumer.
“His condition quickly worsened and he is sadly, now left with brain damage. This could have been avoided if his asthma diagnosis was properly treated as the life-threatening condition we know it to be.” he adds.
“Asthma is a really serious condition and it should always be treated as such. To underestimate the severity of it is very dangerous and can lead to preventable injuries and even death.” stresses Blumer.
He urges anyone who thinks they may have suffered injuries or loss during a stay in hospital to get in touch with a personal injury lawyer.
“If you think you have suffered medical negligence during a stay at hospital, it is important to get a professional’s perspective on the matter. Too often we see people who would have really strong cases missing out on compensation because they didn’t take the first step in talking to a lawyer.” concludes Blumer.
Blumers Lawyers specialise in medical negligence cases. Call us on (02) 6208 2600 or book online for a no obligation chat with one of our experienced lawyers.
Sources:
- https://www.reliasmedia.com/articles/4989-legal-review-amp-commentary-failure-to-treat-asthmatic-patient-results-in-brain-damage-5-million-ny-verdict
- 1 in 9 have asthma: https://www.asthmaaustralia.org.au/vic/about-asthma/what-is-asthma