A 46-year-old lady is admitted to the hospital owing to acute sadness and exhaustion. She does not have any other medical issues. Routine laboratory testing are conducted, and depression medication is prescribed. Her depression improves marginally after a week, and she is released home to continue with outpatient therapy. However, the patient is still extremely tired and unable to return to work, requiring her to seek a leave of absence. At her follow-up appointment two weeks later, the outpatient physician reviews the hospital record and discovers a TSH level of 15.2 U/mL that was never addressed by the inpatient physician. Following an assessment and therapy with thyroid hormone, her sadness and exhaustion improve quickly. Which of the following is the appropriate categorization for this type of medical error?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: TSH levels are commonly used to test for hypothyroidism, which is a recognized cause of sadness. The increased amount (normal: 0.5-5.0 U/mL) in this patient should have been noticed during hospitalization and warranted additional testing. The inability of the inpatient physician to notice and address the irregularity was an avoidable medical mistake that resulted in a delayed diagnosis. Preventable medical mistakes occur when a patient is harmed by an act of commission or omission rather than by the underlying disease and are the outcome of failing to follow evidence-based best practice standards.

A 46-Year-Old Lady Is Admitted to the Hospital Owing to Acute