In New Zealand, a young woman harmed by imaging missteps
Several Kiwi imaging professionals are under fire for a misdiagnosis that started with a trainee sonographer and led to life-changing unnecessary surgery.
The surgery was fallopian-tube removal. The patient was a 19-year-old woman.
The trainee, her supervisor and a radiologist will all have their work randomly reviewed going forward, and the supervising sonographer may face a competency review.
“The ultrasound was performed at an unnamed radiology clinic by a trainee sonographer who told her supervisor she thought the woman had a live ectopic pregnancy in her right fallopian tube,” according to New Zealand Doctor. “Under supervision, the ultrasound was performed again and, though the supervising sonographer said she did not see a fetal heartbeat in the tube and that the images weren’t convincing for the diagnosis, she accepted it.”
The outlet reports that, from there, a radiologist told the woman’s general practitioner that urgent specialist assessment was needed.
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Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.