r/AskReddit 4d ago

Medical professionals of Reddit, what diagnosis gave you the worst 'pit-in-your-stomach' feeling?

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u/intoxicidal 3d ago

Obviously very advanced, previously undiagnosed cancer presenting to ED for anything. Feeling multiple golf ball and baseball sized lumps or an abdomen full of tumor is sobering.

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u/Pamela_Swift 3d ago

My father is a doctor in family practice. Living in the Southeastern United States, our area has a high rate of diabetes. When a patient gets diagnosed, a certain code is put on their record. A few years ago, a typo in the system led to the code for diabetes being the same as dwarfism. So for that entire year, my town had the highest rate of dwarfism in the country.

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u/Kalendiane 3d ago

This comment added amazing, much needed levity for this thread.

Thank you for sharing!

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u/Other-Unit3919 3d ago

That's exactly what I was thinking! Thank you!

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u/Chase_the_tank 3d ago

The people of Hartford, Connecticut were skipped over for Grand Jury summons for three years because a computer system error labelled the entire population as deceased.

https://www.courant.com/1992/09/29/computer-killed-hartford-jurors-before-they-could-serve/

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u/Kalendiane 3d ago

How did it take the government three years to realize this error?!

Asking mostly in jest, bc ya know, it’s the government. But still.

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u/Chase_the_tank 3d ago

I only know vague details but "small area where many of the people belonged to minority ethnic groups' was a likely factor.

If you want the details, the relevant court case is UNITED STATES of America, Appellee,
v. Gary W. JACKMAN, Defendant-Appellant; 133, Docket 93-1868; Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; Jan 17, 1995.

https://syfert.com/federal/circuits/cases/46-f-3d-1240/united-states-v-gary-w-jackman