Medical Malpractice
Practice Area Attorneys
Heart Attacks
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One type of case which the malpractice attorneys at Anapol Schwartz have handled frequently over the years has been the failure to timely diagnose and/or treat myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) and strokes (brain attacks). Anapol Schwartz attorneys have worked with cardiovascular experts to recover significant compensation for clients who have been victims of medical negligence in treating heart attacks and brain attacks.
Myocardial Infarction – Heart Attack
It is now well established that early diagnosis and treatment of a heart attack is critical in saving lives and reducing damage to a person’s heart. ANYONE WHO BELIEVES THEY ARE HAVING A HEART ATTACK SHOULD NOT HESITATE TO CALL THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SYSTEM.
The signs of a heart attack to watch out for are as follows:
- Chest pain usually described as tightness like a crushing weight against the chest, which is accompanied by profuse sweating. The pain may radiate to the left shoulder and arm, neck or jaw but at times to the right arm also;
- Chest pain usually precipitated by exercise or stress that does not clear up when medications are taken or when resting;
- Mild chest pain with unexplained fatigue and ill health. It should be noted the degree of pain and specific symptoms before a heart attack vary greatly among individuals. Some people may feel severe pain; others might feel only a tingling sensation. Some people may only have a sense of fullness, squeezing or pressure in the chest;
- A feeling of indigestion or heartburn is common as are nausea and vomiting;
- Some people report a fear of impending death, a phenomenon known as angor animi.
It also should be recognized that there are atypical signs of a heart attack. About 1/3 of all heart attack patients do not have chest pain at all, putting them at a much higher risk of misdiagnosis. Women and elderly are particularly more likely to have atypical symptoms, although they can have classic heart attack symptoms as well. Before a heart attack women are more likely then men to be nauseous and experience pain high in the abdomen or chest. Their first symptoms may be extreme fatigue after physical activity rather than chest pain.
With the advent of treatment with thrombolytic or “clot busting drugs,” it is even more important than ever that a patient who believes they may be having a heart attack seek treatment immediately. The earlier thrombolytic drugs are administered the better. The advantage of thrombolytic drugs is highest in the first 90 minutes and are still considerable at 3 hours. In fact, administering thrombolytics in the ambulance may reduce the risk for death by over 15%. However, administering thrombolytics more than 6 hours after symptoms have started adds literally no benefit to the patient.
Unfortunately, Anapol Schwartz has handled a number of cases where there was a delay in the diagnosis or initiation of treatment of thrombolytic agents to patients who presented to the hospital with signs and symptoms of a heart attack resulting in death or significant heart damage.
Strokes – Brain Attacks
Unlike heart attacks many patients do not recognize the signs and symptoms of a stroke and seek immediate medical care. Like heart attacks, brain attacks can now be treated with thrombolytics, which can substantially reduce the effects of the stroke and/or death. The American Stroke Association has launched a campaign to have strokes called “brain attacks.” The change in name is intended to make the public understand that a stroke is similar to a heart attack in that immediate recognition and getting medical treatment can mean the difference between life and death.
A stroke or brain attack occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted. When a stroke occurs the brain cells in the immediate area begin to die because they stop getting oxygen they need to function. Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 163,000 Americans each year. In African Americans stroke is more common and more deadly even in young and middle aged adults then for any other racial or ethnic group in the United States.
In order to get life saving treatment you need to recognize the symptoms of a stroke and get to the hospital quickly. Getting timely treatment for a stroke can prevent permanent disability.
The symptoms of stroke can happen quickly and are as follows:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body)
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
As with heart attacks, treatment of a stroke victim with thrombolytic agents in the first 90 minutes can reduce the severity of a stroke. Moreover, there are surgical techniques available for treatment of life threatening strokes that can save lives. However, even when a patient gets to the hospital timely, there is no guarantee of prompt diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, many of Anapol Schwartz’s clients have made it to the hospital only to suffer a disabling injury or death due to a delay in the prompt diagnosis and institution of treatment of their brain attacks.
More information about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart and brain attacks can be found at the website for the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.
If you or someone you know has suffered a heart or brain attack caused by a misdiagnosis, we can assist you in evaluating your case. Click here to contact us for a free case evaluation.
