Common Misdiagnoses of Entamoeba Histolytica

Entamoeba hystolytica is a medical term used to describe the invasion of a single cell parasite inside the human body. Such parasites typically are ingested and make their way to the digestive tract where they can cause a number of problems. A healthy adult is able to eliminate the parasite from his body and fight it off before the infection becomes a problem or the parasite can breed. However, those that are sick, young or whose immune systems are compromised in some other way have a more difficult time combating the parasites on their own.

Entamoeba hytolytica is caused by drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated fresh vegetables, or coming into contact with the feces of others who are infected. It typically runs rampant in areas that are highly populated where poor and unsanitary conditions exist. People affected by entamoeba hytolytica will have a number of different symptoms including diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, cramping in the stomach, severe pain in the abdomen, vomiting, fever and even blood in feces.

Proper Diagnosis Procedures

In order to properly diagnose entamoeba hystolytica, your chosen medical professional will follow a set of standard procedures.

• Typically the process for diagnosing this condition begins with the doctor asking about the living conditions of the patient and the recent travel activity of the patient as well. 
• After evaluating this information, the treating physician will ask for a stool sample. 
• The stool sample will be tested in a laboratory. 
• If the laboratory comes back positive indicating entamoeba hytolytica, the doctor will perform a number of other tests to determine the extent of the problem.

Misread, Delayed or Missed Diagnosis

When misdiagnosis of entamoeba hystolytica occurs, it is often because of laboratory errors. Further, the symptoms of this condition can also be the signs of many other types of medical problems, so it is imperative that if the doctor suspects such an infection, you are honest with him about living conditions and places that you have travelled to within a course of two weeks. If the condition is misdiagnosed, there can be consequences suffered as a result of the invasion of the parasite in the digestive system.

Consequences of Delayed Treatment or Misdiagnosis

The consequences of not having this condition diagnosed and treated immediately can be detrimental and even fatal in some cases. One of the consequences of having the condition left untreated is dehydration. Since the parasitic invasion makes you very sick and gives you diarrhea, you likely will lose more water than your body can handle, causing you to become weak and dehydrated.

Another consequence of the condition going untreated is that the parasite could imbed itself in the digestive tract and use your body as a host to breed. The new parasites will find other places to imbed within the body and begin to host as well. This will cause an extensive infection and make you extremely sick. If left untreated for a long period of time, entamoebic hytolytica can prove to be fatal as the parasite gradually steals nutrients from the host’s body.

Getting Legal Help

When your entamoeba hystolytica is not properly diagnosed, you may be able to hold your doctor responsible for the consequences if he was negligent in his duty of providing professional quality care to you. You should consider speaking with a lawyer for assistance in proving medical malpractice and in bringing a claim against your physician.