December 22, 2009

Lawsuit Filed Against NYC Hospital for HIV Misdiagnosis

A medical-malpractice lawsuit has been filed against Harlem Hospital in New York City for misdiagnosing a patient with HIV, the New York Post reports.  

According to the article, the patient, Maria Osorio, 54, went to the hospital for its discounted mammogram screening. After Osorio accepted a free cheek swab and blood test for sexually transmitted infections, a nurse diagnosed her with HIV.  

Osorio blamed her husband of 37 years, Gabriel Lezcano, for her testing HIV positive. Lezcano denied being HIV positive, even after the hospital called a few days after Osorio’s diagnosis to tell her that the disease was advanced.  

About three weeks after her diagnosis, the hospital called Osorio to tell her she was not HIV positive. She claims that no one has admitted a mistake or apologized.  

Osorio told the Post that she suffered immense emotional damage as a result of the diagnosis, even considering suicide.

Search: Harlem Hospital, Maria Osorio, Gabriel Lezcano, misdiagnosis

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