Medical Malpractice Lawsuits for Misdiagnosis of Stroke
In honor of American Heart Month, let’s talk about misdiagnosis of stroke; one of the most common medical conditions caused by coronary artery disease and other common heart disorders. A patient who may be experiencing a stroke should be seen by a medical professional for a diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible (it is appropriate to visit the Emergency Room).
According to cdc.gov:
- In 2018, one out of every six deaths from cardiovascular disease were due to stroke.
- Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds.
- Every four minutes, someone dies of stroke.
- Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke.
- Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability.
- Stroke reduces mobility in more than half of stroke survivors age 65 and over.
Medical Malpractice Lawsuits for Misdiagnosis of Stroke
Sadly, there are instances when a patient experiencing or who recently experienced stroke symptoms seeks medical care only to be misdiagnosed. A failure to diagnose stroke can lead to catastrophic health consequences.
If you or a loved one was injured as a result of a failure to diagnose stroke, contact a medical malpractice lawyer for legal advice. If the injuries were caused by negligent care, then a medical malpractice lawsuit may be an appropriate way to recover damages.
Symptoms of stroke
If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms of stroke, seek medical care:
- Numbness or tingling on one side of the body
- Slurred speech or trouble speaking
- Difficulty balancing
- Confusion
- Severe headache
In most cases, a doctor will order a CT scan or MRI to determine if the patient is experiencing or recently experienced a stroke and if so, to identify which type of stroke it is. The two main types of strokes are ischemic strokes and hemorrhagic strokes.
Health consequences of stroke misdiagnosis
If a stroke is misdiagnosed or proper stroke protocol is not employed, patients can be severely injured or die.
Ischemic strokes are also known as clot strokes because blood flow to the brain is blocked. They account for about 87% of all strokes. If they go untreated within three-to-four-hours, the patient may experience severe and irreversible symptoms.
Hemorrhagic strokes are also called bleeding strokes because they cause bleeding into the surrounding brain. Patients may experience severe headaches; this type of stroke accounts for about 13 percent of all strokes. If they are diagnosed immediately, hemorrhagic strokes can typically be treated surgically.
If a stroke patient is forced to wait for care past the critical three-hour window, the physician fails to order a CT scan right away, or fails to understand the seriousness of the symptoms; patients may suffer life-threatening or otherwise debilitating consequences such as brain damage.
Other conditions may look like a stroke
While there are other health conditions that create similar symptoms as a stroke, including brain tumors and seizures, a trained doctor must be able to tell each condition apart in order to make an accurate diagnosis. Misdiagnosing a stroke is a very dangerous mistake as it can lead to the death of a patient.
Seek the help of a medical malpractice attorney
If you were injured because of medical negligence or lost a loved one due to a preventable medical error, you have enough to deal with. Let an experienced medical malpractice attorney fight for justice on your behalf. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a medical negligence lawyer. Call the most experienced practicing medical malpractice attorneys Bellingham has at Tario & Associates, P.S. today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing people injured by medical negligence in Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
