Inept Doctor Question

**Psyborg** · 08-01-2011, 07:14 AM

So not sure if you guys remember, but I dumped my motorcycle back in April and was pretty sore for a while. Well in the process of providing all my medical data to the VA, I read my recent X-Ray and CT scan reports. What I found is I have a fractured rib, now how in the world can have been missed in April at the ER? Now I'm starting to wonder if my toe that is still sore might have been misdiagnosed as well.

I guess that ribs can be hard to see, but I'm pretty frustrated that I've been struggling with why it was healing so slow, when if I'd known it was broken I'd have expected the long healing time. I'm also at least a little frustrated that nobody reading the X-Rays or CT Scans thought it was worth mentioning that my rib was broken LOL. I mean I get that it wasn't the focus of what they were looking for, but I figured the fact that I'd noted to them that I though maybe I had torn cartilage would have prompted some sort of discussion.

**pberggren1** · 08-01-2011, 07:45 AM

This is totally unacceptable!!!!! ARGGG!!!

Bob, do you think that the broken rib could be related to the heart and bronchial problem?

**drz** · 08-01-2011, 08:32 AM

It often takes 24 hours or so before many bone breaks will show up on an X-ray. Most ER trips are soon after the injury. Some times it is best to postpone the X-rays if not urgent. Many breaks like "greenstick fractures" don't require anything extra either. When I had a stress fracture on my ankle it was not discovered weeks till after PT made it worse. Then the treatment was to wear stiff high top boots for a month. Same for broken toes.

They still should have told you about the broken rib whenever they discovered it even if they would not have treated it any different. Have you asked them? Some times a diagnosis can end up on your chart by mistake when it was entered as "rule out" and gets copied wrong. I have had that happen to me.

**Psyborg** · 08-01-2011, 09:12 AM

It's not related to the other issues I'm pretty sure. Now that I think about it it does make sense that it could be missed. To be honest I felt like I kind of got blown off at the ER at the time, so that adds to this frustration. It was the next day, but not a full 24 hours later.

Mostly now wondering if I should have that toe examined again. It definitely hurts more now than the rib, but it seems to get aggravated constantly.