This case takes place in Massachusetts and involves a male patient who was involved in an automobile accident and sustained severe abdominal injuries. CT scans were performed when the patient first presented to the ER, which were reported to be normal. The patient continued to experience abdominal pain for several days after this initial examination, at which point another CT scan was ordered. It was revealed that there was an internal bleed which required emergency surgery to correct. It is alleged that based on the patient’s injury and the circumstances of the accident the ER physician should have received surgical consult on the day the patient presented, regardless of the negative radiology reports.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
- 1. Do you have experience in treating patients who have been involved in automobile accidents?
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2. What is the standard of care for imaging of pediatric patients following an automobile accident?
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3. Given the circumstances of the accident, should the patient have received a surgical consult?
Expert Witness Response E-005548
If the patient continued to have abdominal pain, another CT should have been obtained much sooner than it was. It is a much better test than an abdominal ultrasound. All patients who sustain trauma following an automobile accident and have abdominal pain should automatically be seen by the surgeons. The fact that he was ‘belted’ and had continued pain should have made them consider highly the possibility of a delayed perforation
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