# A medical mistake: what should I do?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-medical-mistake-what-should-i-do/206007>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 7, 2003, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-medical-mistake-what-should-i-do/206007 "2003-10-07T05:37:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-medical-mistake-what-should-i-do/206007/21 "2003-10-15T10:04:36Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by suezeekay \*  
> \*\* I just can’t get it though my head than because he read the x-ray wrong I have to pay a monetary penalty. \*\*

Except it’s not a penalty. You were sent in for further diagnostic testing and treatment. Because the diagnostic tests came back negative for any sort of problem, there was no treatment necessary.

My advice: Pay the radiologist and find a new nephrologist. Preferably someone who can tell the left kidney from the right.

Robin

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**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-medical-mistake-what-should-i-do/206007/22 "2003-10-15T11:32:29Z")

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\*\*

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by MsRobyn \*  
> \*\*Except that the interventional radiologist didn’t make a mistake.

\*\*  
Every health care professional is obligated to do an assessment of their patient. The Radiologist did make a mistake. He didn’t ask a simple question. “Which side hurts?” Physicians, especially referals docs, are busy, and count on the refering doctor to have made a good and thorough assessment. However, if the PMD, as in this case, made a mistake, Doc 2 isn’t off the hook. He made the SAME mistake, by not assessing HIS patient.

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**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-medical-mistake-what-should-i-do/206007/23 "2003-10-15T17:59:18Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by picunurse \*
> 
> * * *
> 
> Every health care professional is obligated to do an assessment of their patient. The Radiologist did make a mistake. He didn’t ask a simple question. “Which side hurts?” Physicians, especially referals docs, are busy, and count on the refering doctor to have made a good and thorough assessment. However, if the PMD, as in this case, made a mistake, Doc 2 isn’t off the hook. He made the SAME mistake, by not assessing HIS patient. \*\*

Actually, the IR did ask the question.

> [@](#):
>
> _from the OP:_  
> radiologist asks about the pain in my right side.

He _did_ ask, just not in the most objective way.

Robin

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