If you or a loved one has suffered from a misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose a heart attack, you may want to speak with a personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of d'Oliveira & Associates.
Each year, approximately 7 million people enter an emergency room with heart attack symptoms. Approximately 1.5 million of those people are suffering from a heart attack and 30% of these patients do not survive. Second to none, heart attacks are the leading cause of death in both men and women. Unfortunately, failing to diagnose a heart attack is also the most common medical malpractice mistake.
It is very troubling that physicians misdiagnose so many patients suffering from heart attacks, especially considering the many available methods and tests used to make correct heart attack diagnoses. For example, stress tests are very common. Under this test, blood flow is examined while the patient jogs on a treadmill. At their disposal, doctors also have an electrocardiogram, usually referred to as ECG. This test shows doctors how the heart muscles are contracting. However, nearly 50% of patients at risk for heart attacks will pass this test with normal results. Statistics show that misreading the results of an ECG is very common. In fact, over 20% of heart attack misdiagnoses are due to improper readings of an ECG.
A much more reliable method of diagnosing heart attacks is the Echocardiogram (or cardiac imaging). Another available method of diagnosing a heart attack is by using cardiac markers (also known as biologic markers). After a heart attack, damaged heart cells release chemicals in the patient’s blood. If present, these markers may assist doctors in properly diagnosing the patient.
There are many symptoms and warning signs of heart attacks that patients should be aware of. The most common symptom is severe chest pain and pressure.
Heart attacks are misdiagnosed for a variety of reasons. Most often, the reason for this failure to diagnose is that the symptoms of heart attacks often lead doctors to believe the patient is suffering from a different medical condition.
Doctors often misdiagnose heart attack patients with the following medical conditions:
Another reason why doctors fail to properly diagnose patients with heart attacks is they fail to consider heart attacks in younger patients and overlook how common it is for women to suffer from heart attacks. It is a common misconception that heart attacks in women are rare. However, heart disease actually kills five times more women than breast cancer. Additionally, doctors are likely to misdiagnose a woman’s heart attack as a gastrointestinal condition because women typically suffer symptoms of nausea, while men usually have chest pain.
If a patient has any doubts about the initial diagnosis they are given, they should not hesitate to seek a second opinion. To avoid misdiagnosis, patients should provide their physicians with any and all pertinent information regarding their symptoms. Finally, providing family and medical history information may assist doctors in making the proper diagnosis.
If you or a loved one has suffered from a misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose a heart attack, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. A personal injury attorney may be able to help.
Please contact the law offices of d'Oliveira & Associates at 1-800-992-6878 or fill out a contact form for a free legal consultation.