A heart attack is a very serious, potentially fatal, medical event. But when immediate treatment, damage to the heart muscle can be minimized or even prevented. Recovery is possible and many heart attack patients are able to return to their normal activities within a few and go on to live full and active lives. A delay in treatment can mean death, and those who survive are far more likely to suffer permanent harm. Emergency room patients who are sent home undiagnosed and untreated are very likely to have a more serious heart attack shortly after the initial visit.
Why are Heart Attacks Misdiagnosed?
Failure to diagnose heart attack is a common emergency room error. Heart attack is often misdiagnosed as another health condition with similar symptoms. Doctors and other medical professionals till fail to consider heart attack in patients that they do not see as likely candidates, even though they should know better by now.
Heart attack victim who are likely to be overlooked include:
- Women
- Young people
- Patients who are “physically fit”
- Patients who appear healthy
Other types of medical negligence that can lead to failure to diagnose heart attack includes:
- Failure to recognize and respond to the symptoms of heart attack
- Failure to recognize atypical symptoms of heart attack
- Failure to review or consider patient’s medical history
- Failure to consider patient’s medications that increase the risk of heart attack
- Failure to consider current or recent smoking cessation or drug or alcohol detoxification
- Overreliance on EKG results
- Failure to administer the proper tests
- Misreading test results
If you have been harmed by failure to diagnose heart attack, you may be able to recover substantial compensation for your injuries. Please contact us to be connected to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer in your state.
