The Five Most Common Diagnostic Errors in Pediatric Medical Malpractice Claims
Diagnostic errors represent one of the most significant sources of preventable harm in pediatric medicine and are a leading cause of malpractice claims. Unlike treatment errors, which may be corrected once identified, diagnostic errors can lead to catastrophic delays in care, allowing conditions to progress to irreversible stages. In children, where symptoms can be nonspecific and conditions can deteriorate rapidly, the stakes are particularly high.
Published pediatric claims analyses (e.g., Glerum 2018; Selbst 2005) repeatedly implicate a recurring set of high-stakes conditions in pediatric diagnostic-error claims. This article focuses on five of them as illustrative examples: appendicitis, meningitis, pneumonia, cardiac conditions, and malignancy. These conditions share common characteristics that make them particularly vulnerable to misdiagnosis: they present with nonspecific symptoms that overlap with benign conditions, they require time-sensitive intervention, and delayed diagnosis can result in severe morbidity or mortality.
Medical Malpractice · 14 min read · Ralph D. Martello, MD, pediatric hospitalist and medical expert witness.