A routine trip to a doctor for any number of complaints often leads to some form of a medical test. The results of these medical tests often guide the doctor in creating a treatment plan. Whether you are having blood drawn, undergoing a pregnancy test, or verifying a genetic disorder, accurate test results are critical to a proper diagnosis. A test that shows a woman is not pregnant when she is could result in severe injury to the fetus. A test that gives a false negative for a genetic disorder would lead to a failure to treat the disorder or a missed opportunity to prevent its effects. Still, many patients give little thought at all to the people reading their lab results or even how the tests are conducted. Recent reports have suggested that this is a major problem in the United States.
The Labs
There are approximately 35,000 labs in the country performing what is considered “moderate to high complexity testing” for patients. These labs are required to undergo inspection once every two years. Including the labs that perform less complicated testing, there are approximately seven to ten billion laboratory tests performed annually. These results influence 70% of medical decisions and diagnoses. Laboratory test results also influence other aspects of a patient’s life such as relationships (consider an incorrect paternity test, for example) and job offers (think drug testing). An error in any of these areas could have major consequences for a patient and their loved ones.
The Problems
One five-year-old Massachusetts girl and her family suffered immensely due to the mishandling of the results of her bone marrow transplant tests. The little girl received a stem cell transplant at Boston Children’s Hospital from her fraternal twin sister and the lab mistakenly marked her donor as “unrelated.” Because of this oversight, the tests repeatedly showed that she was maintaining her own cells, which were actually the cells of her sister. Because of this mislabeling, the girl needed a second painful transplant and ultimately died. Many laboratories are pressured to focus on the bottom line. A constant eye towards turning a profit means that costs will be cut
lts of her bone marrow transplant tests. The little girl received a stem cell transplant at Boston Children’s Hospital from her fraternal twin sister and the lab mistakenly marked her donor as “unrelated.” Because of this oversight, the tests repeatedly showed that she was maintaining her own cells, which were actually the cells of her sister. Because of this mislabeling, the girl needed a second painful transplant and ultimately died. Many laboratories are pressured to focus on the bottom line. A constant eye towards turning a profit means that costs will be cut and as a result a higher likelihood that people suffer. If a lab chooses not to properly store a blood sample, use a testing agent that has expired, or simply mixes up samples, patients’ results will be flawed.
The Help You Need
When major corporations take a gamble on your health in the name of profit and loss statements it is your right to hold them accountable. You do not have to tackle the costs of your healthcare on your own. Rather, it is the responsibility of the careless companies who caused or worsened your injuries. If you have suffered at the hands of negligent laboratories, contact Attorney Peter Ventura at 508-755-7535 today for a free consultation.
Photo Credit: Andres Rueda via Compfight cc
