Physician Assistant Fails to Diagnose Bacterial Meningitis in Child

This case involves a young girl who began complaining of a sore throat. The next day, she reportedly slept most of the day, and exhibited a fever, which became progressively worse on the next day. She was brought to her pediatricians office where she was seen by a physician assistant. The girl was falling asleep in the pediatrician’s office, and her lethargy was so significant that she was not responding well to questions. Nevertheless, the girl was sent home from the pediatrician’s office with a prescription for antibiotics. Later that day, she was not improving and began to show signs of confusion. She was taken to the emergency room where a lumbar puncture was described as yielding cloudy fluid. She was transferred to a larger medical center at where she was pronounced brain dead.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Do you routinely treat patients like the one described above?

2. Do you have familiarity with the subject matter described above?

3. Have you ever had a patient develop the outcome/complications noted above?

Expert Witness Response E-035146

I have been engaged in healthcare in various roles for 35 years including emergency medicine, surgery, family practice, and PA education. I have encountered numerous patients such as the one described as a practicing physician assistant and continue to see patients such as this today. I have seen patients with the presumed infectious processes described suffer from sepsis, septic shock, and death. Immediate administration of broad spectrum IV antibiotics in an inpatient setting, or even administration of intramuscular antibiotics may have prevented this negative outcome.