Mismanagement of Neuroblastoma Tumor in Young Child Leads to Untimely Death

Case Overview

This case involves a 4-year-old patient who was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma and was admitted for emergency surgery. The surgery was determined to be a success and a majority of the mass was resected. Over a several-week period following the surgery, the patient developed brain swelling which went undetected. The patient’s vital signs became unstable over a 3 day period at which point she was finally sent for a CT scan. The radiologist reported that there was swelling but no one elected to inform the neurosurgeon on call. After a few weeks passed (with no surgical intervention, the neurologist reviewed the patients brain imaging with the parents. He explained that the patient suffered catastrophic brain damage with the loss of over half her brain function. The patient became paralyzed and died several weeks later due to associated complications.

Questions to the Neurology expert and their responses

Should these neurological complications have been noticed sooner?

If the patient was unstable and worsening, then there should have been more urgent intervention, including consideration of neurosurgical issues. The decompensation of the patient should have been noticed sooner and actionable measures should have been taken much, much sooner.

About the expert

This expert is a fellowship-trained, actively practicing child neurology expert who has received his medical training at among the nation's finest medical institutions. He is the medical director of child neuropsychology at his current institution, focused on epilepsy and pediatric neurocritical care at a large tertiary care children's hospital with extensive time spent on neurocritical care consult service. Finally, he is the co-editor of recently published pediatric neurocritical care textbook which is the first such work addressing this topic in pediatrics.

E-001047

Specialties:

Neurology

Michael Talve stands at the forefront of legal innovation as the CEO and Managing Director of Expert Institute. Under his leadership, the Expert Institute has established itself as a vital player in the legal technology arena, revolutionizing how lawyers connect with world-class experts and access advanced legal technology. Michael's role involves not only steering the company's strategic direction but also ensuring the delivery of unparalleled intelligence and cutting-edge solutions to legal professionals. His work at Expert Institute has been instrumental in enhancing the capabilities of attorneys in case preparation and execution, making a significant impact on the legal industry's approach to expert consultation and technological integration. Michael's vision and execution have positioned the Expert Institute as a key facilitator in the intersection of law and technology.