Tuberculosis or TB is a deadly contagious disease caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis bacteria and spreads rapidly through air simply when an infected person talks, coughs, laughs, or sneezes. Infected people carry these bacteria, and it grows in a patient’s lung where it causes pulmonary tuberculosis or other organs causing extra-pulmonary tuberculosis.

Like many other contagious diseases, Tuberculosis also spreads and causes damage to a person’s health in case of negligence. Misdiagnosis or total failure to diagnose this disease can cause the patient’s inability to recover from the infection causing the spread to healthy individuals. Patients of Tuberculosis need efficient facilities to make sure other people do not get infected.

Tuberculosis negligence usually occurs from delays in diagnosis and inefficiency in treating the disease resulting in permanent damage to the infected person. If such an incident has occurred at any ER medical facility you can seek remuneration and compensation via a tuberculosis medical malpractice lawsuit.

Patients with active Tuberculosis may require hospitalization for a brief period. Common tuberculosis medical malpractices seen in hospital facilities occurs because of one of these following reasons:

Enclosed Spaces

Hospital rooms tend to be compact and enclosed. Infected patients may spread the bacteria through their sneeze or cough. Keeping TB infected patients in enclose spaces results in the existence of bacteria in the atmosphere for an extended period infecting other people in the facility.

Inappropriate Ventilation

For the bacteria to be diluted, an adequate ventilation system is required as it reduces the risk of spreading the disease. An inappropriate or compromised ventilation system facilitates the recirculation of the bacteria increasing the risk of its spread.

Lack of Protective Gear

People in contact with an infected patient should use protective gear as a precautionary measure. Using protective gear and masks is inevitable for healthcare professionals as it takes a small concentration of the bacteria to infect a healthy person.

Misdiagnosis of Tuberculosis

The most common type of negligence related to Tuberculosis is failing to diagnose the disease. Misdiagnosis of such fatal illness not only impacts the patient but also endangers the lives of other healthy people. Tuberculosis sometimes goes unnoticed because of mixed and common symptoms including the likes of fever, cough, and flu. Doctors confuse these symptoms with common cold and chest or viral infection, resulting in prolonged illness and the risk of other people getting infected.

Each year, Tuberculosis claims the lives of millions of people around the world. In 2018, 1.5 million people lost their lives to TB.

Many patients admit that they have contracted the disease while being treated at a hospital for an altogether different medical reason, and blame tuberculosis related medical malpractice and negligence for their suffering.

Result of Negligence Related to Tuberculosis

If any negligence occurs in the diagnosis or treatment of Tuberculosis, many complications can occur. Negligence may lead to one or a combination of these outcomes:

• Irreversible brain damage from TB Meningitis
• Hearing loss
• Lung damage
• Respiratory inability
• Coughing fits
• Compromised immunity
• Lethargy
• Bronchiectasis
• Complete loss of long or aspergillosis
• Complications spine, bones, and nervous system
• Death

Many people put their health and life at risk because of negligence. Knowledge about tuberculosis medical malpractice and its outcome can save millions of lives across the world. Patients and their loved ones should know more about the complications that come with the disease. This may help in saving precious lives.