Lost opportunity
Ms C, a 43-year-old smoker who was otherwise well, presented to her GP, Dr Q, complaining of a few days’ discoloration to the tip of her right index finger. She explained that her fingers had always felt cold and often turned white and went numb when she was outside.
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
If it is not recorded
Article contains
Stretch marks and steroids
Mr A was a 25-year-old man who was on lifelong steroid medication for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. He was under the care of Dr F, a consultant endocrinologist.
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
Tragic outcomes don't always equal negligence
JS, a four-month-old baby, was felt by his mother to be developing a cold and was given oral paracetamol solution, which was effective. The following day his mother noted he was warm and snuffly.
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
Diagnosis pneumonia out of hours
Mr B was a 31-year-old man with three children. His mother was staying with him over the weekend because he was in bed coughing and shivering.
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
Undescended testis
Baby LM was taken to see his GP, Dr E, for his six-week check. During this examination Dr E noted that his left testis was in the scrotum but his right testis was palpable in the canal. He asked LM’s mother to bring him back for review in a month.
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
Failure to follow specialist advice
Following a hospital admission for status epilepticus, which was attributed to a previous cerebral insult, Mr G, a 35-year-old clerical officer, was started on an anticonvulsant regime of phenytoin and sodium valproate.
Read moreArticle contains
Problematic Anaesthetic
Mrs B was a 57-year-old lady with a past history of breast cancer treated with mastectomy and adjuvant therapy. She re-presented to her consultant breast surgeon, Mr F, three years after the original surgery with a worrying 2cm lump in the vicinity of her mastectomy scar.
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
Missed meningitis
A Missed opportunity?
Back to front
An unusual presentation masks a significant underlying diagnosis
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
Paediatric brain injury
Surgery for an arachnoid cyst is complicated by an intracranial bleed.
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
A risk of harm
An unlucky tummy tuck
Tunnel vision
A patient presents several times with a worrying vaginal discharge
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
Tripped up
Turning a blind eye
A delay in sharing an urgent result with a patient results in a loss of vision
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
Diathermy Drama
Minor surgery to remove a skin tag is complicated by an unexpected event
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
A hidden problem
Mr T, a 40-year-old accountant, attended a private health check under his employer’s healthcare scheme. Blood and protein were noted on urinalysis and his eGFR was found to be 45 ml/min/1.73 m2. He was asked to make an appointment with his GP and was given a letter highlighting the abnormal results to take with him.
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
A friend in need
Ms N, a 33-year-old female accountant, presented to Mr X, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, with severe lower back pain radiating to both legs.
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
A complicated claim
Mr A, an orthopaedic surgeon, was approached by a claimant’s solicitors to provide an expert report on behalf of their client.
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
No news is not always good news
Child J, a one-week-old baby girl, was noticed to have a clicking right hip when she was seen by the community midwife. A referral to the orthopaedic clinic was requested and Child J was reviewed by orthopaedic junior doctor, Dr M, three weeks later. Dr M confirmed that there was no relevant family history and examined Child J.
Read moreArticle contains
Tagged in...
Reported abuse
Mrs X asked her GP to refer her eightyear-old daughter, Child F, to be assessed by a consultant psychiatrist in child and adolescent mental health. The GP referral letter stated that Child F had reported to her teacher that her father frequently touched her genitalia.
Read more