There was remarkable development in medical field recently but, medicl dispute was also increased by misdiagnosis.
Usually, misdiagnosis was defined by mistake in diagnosis based on surgical pathology or autopsy findings compared with initial clinical diagnosis.
The authors analyzed the accuracy in diagnosis of surgical patients over 5 years period from Nov. 1985 to July, 1991 at the data of Korean Medical association.
The results were as follows:
1. In correct surgical diagnosis was noted in 87 cases out of 1958 cases.
2. Among the cases, 60 cases (69%) were trauma, 27 cases were surgical disease.
3. Highest misdiagnosis was found in the cases of simple fracture of extremities (18 cases,
30%) and followed by soft tissue contusion 12 cases (20%), simple laceration 12 cases (20%)
by hidden associated injuries at other site such as intraabdominal, intracranial and in-
trathoracic.
4. Misdiagnosis of head contusion is treated as intracranial hemorrhage of pts, 11.7%.
5. Simple laceration was 17 cases (28.3%) by hidden associated injuries at other site such as tenden injury, or foreign body insersion.
6. Misdiagnosis was found frequently in the acute appendicitis (14 cases, 51.8%) as a gastroenteritis 11 cases (40.7%), acute cystitis 3 cases (11.1%).
7. Misdiagnosis in the surgical field was common in the emergency cases. And repeated follow
up examination with academic experience was important for decrease such as accident.
8. In surgical disease, stomach cancer patient have been misdiagnosed as having peptic Ulcer.
Also, breast cancer was misdiagnosed as fibrocystic disease (1 case, 3.7%).
9. For improvement of diagnostic accuracy in surgical field, conprehensive diagnosis with
modern physical and laboratory examination and follow up check is essential.
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