Failure to Timely Diagnose Spinal Epidural Abscess

Settlement Amount: $500,000.00
Settlement Date: 8/2000
Attorney: Howard D. Mishkind

Description of Case: 43-year-old female went to local emergency room twice with increasing lower back pain. She had an elevation in her white blood count, was febrile and tachycardic. Patient was discharged and returned approximately eight days later to emergency room with continued back problems, along with difficulty in urination. Patient was discharged from the emergency room with no follow-up care.

Twenty-four hours later, patient was seen and admitted to a local hospital and was diagnosed with an epidural abscess. Patient underwent lumbar laminectomy from L1-S1 and a durotomy from L3-L5 with evacuation with subarachnoid empyema and epidural abscess from L1-S2.

Plaintiff has chronic lower back pain and persistent neurological loss in her legs, even though plaintiff is able to ambulate without the use of any orthopedic devices.

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