Patient Suffers Delayed Treatment of Cauda Equina Syndrome

Case Overview

This case involves a male patient in Hawaii who was prompted to seek medical attention for severe and sudden back pain. He indicated to the internist who saw him that the pain began in his lower spine and was radiating down the back of his left leg. The physician diagnosed him with a likely spinal issue related to a bulging disk, and prescribed muscle relaxants as well as painkillers and, after an MRI was administered, was discharged him home. Over the course of the next few days, the patient was not given any updates on the status of his MRIs, despite repeated calls to the hospital. On the fifth day, the patient received a call from the hospital and was told to go to the nearest emergency room for immediate treatment. On arrival, the patient listed his complaints as radiating pain in his back which had grown progressively worse, as well as incontinence, numbness, and the inability to lay down comfortably. An MRI demonstrated that the patient was suffering from multilevel disk and joint disease, and was eventually diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome and herniated disc disease.