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Updated: Feb 13, 2026

A Novel Approach for the Administration of Medications and Fluids in Emergency Scenarios and Settings
Published on: November 9, 2016
Inaccurate or delayed diagnosis of hollow organ perforation by emergency physicians: using a qualitative approach to
Chi-Chun Peng1, Chaou-Shune Lin2, Peter Woo3
11Department of Emergency Medicine, Hsinchu Cathay General Hospital, Hsinchu City, Taiwan, Province of China.
Background:
Mistakes or delays in the diagnosis of hollow organ perforation may be detrimental to prognosis. Nonetheless, emergency physicians (EPs) are prone to misdiagnosing this condition in specific scenarios. The factors leading to errors in their cognitive processes, however, have received little attention.
Methods:
Using a qualitative approach, we conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with EPs in the emergency departments (EDs) of three hospitals in Taiwan. We purposively selected participants to obtain a sample that can contribute essential information about the diagnostic process. Sampling continued until new information was no longer being gathered. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then analyzed by two investigators according to grounded theory.
Results:
Based on 23 cases from 20 EPs, four themes emerged from the analysis regarding the reasons for diagnostic errors: (1) atypical disease presentations (6/23; 26%), (2) cognitive process of the physicians (21/23; 91%), (3) systemic factors (14/23; 61%), and (4) composite factors (14/23; 61%).
Conclusions:
These findings provide valuable insight into the factors that contribute to diagnostic error in cases of abdominal hollow organ perforation. The results offer a basis on which to build a framework for teaching physicians how to avoid misdiagnosing hollow organ perforation in the future.
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