For patients in New York, the idea that a doctor may fail to diagnose a serious disease like cancer is deeply disturbing. The potential for misdiagnosis escalates when the disorder in question is rare, such as appendix cancer. While colorectal cancer is a relatively common form of cancer, the growth of a cancerous tumor in the appendix is a much less frequent occurrence.
Medication errors can compromise the health of New York patients, worsening existing medical conditions and causing adverse reactions. According to the World Health Organization, medical errors can also increase resistance to antibiotics. Resistance to antimicrobials can take place when there are modifications in bacteria that make the medications intended as treatment ineffective. Antimicrobial resistance is an issue that is impacting the world. If the issue is not properly addressed, the era of modern medicine could come to an end.
Potentially one-third of patients admitted to hospitals in New York for cellulitis have been misdiagnosed. Instead of cellulitis, they could have pseudocellulitis, a condition that resembles the bacterial skin infection but inflames the skin for other reasons. People misdiagnosed with cellulitis could receive unnecessary antibiotic therapy.
