Some medical conditions are considered medical emergencies
because, without immediate medical treatment, the patient could die
or suffer serious permanent injuries. Common examples of medical
emergencies include heart attack, stroke, trauma resulting in
significant bleeding or injury to an organ or limb, bowel
obstruction, cauda equina syndrome, and pulmonary embolism. These
conditions frequently appear in the emergency department, where
staff should be trained to quickly diagnose and treat these and
other medical emergencies.
When patients present to a hospital with a medical emergency,
they can only receive the appropriate treatment in a timely manner
if the medical staff makes a timely and correct diagnosis.
Unfortunately, sometimes medical providers fail to correctly or
timely diagnose a medical emergency. When this happens, the medical
providers may commit medical malpractice, in which case they can be
held responsible for any injuries the patient suffers. In
