title: Neurological Fallacies Leading to Malpractice: A Case Studies Approach.
abstract: A young woman presents with an intracranial arachnoid cyst. Another is diagnosed with migraine headache. An elderly man awakens with a stroke. And a baby delivered vaginally after 2 hours of questionable electronic fetal monitoring patterns grows up to have cerebral palsy. These seemingly disparate cases share a common underlying theme: medical myths. Myths that may lead not only to misdiagnosis and treatment harms but to seemingly never-ending medical malpractice lawsuits, potentially culminating in a settlement or judgment against an unsuspecting neurologist. This article provides a case studies approach exposing the fallacies and highlighting proper management of these common neurologic presentations.
authors.affiliation: Legal Medicine Consultants, 1150 N Loop 1604 West, Suite 108-625, San Antonio, TX 78248, USA. Electronic address: johnston@GlobalNeurology.com.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine K1, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Neurosurgery, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen 5021, Norway.
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wester
authors.affiliation: Deans and Lyons, LLP, 1001 Fannin, Houston, TX 77002, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Sartwelle
mesh_terms: D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
keywords: Cerebral palsy; Electronic fetal monitoring; Intracranial arachnoid cyst; Medical malpractice; Migraine headache; Neurologic malpractice; Stroke