personal injury attorney queens ny
personal injury attorney queens ny
Stroke Misdiagnosis
Strokes are a serious health concern in the United States, with almost 150,000 fatalities every year linked to the condition. Those who survive a stroke can face temporary to permanent damage to the brain.
It is medical fact that when a person is having a stroke, urgent stroke diagnosis and treatment are critical to minimizing serious long-term implications, including:
• Paralysis
• Muscle weakness
• Loss of language skills
• Loss of senses
• Decreased mobility
• Reduced mental capabilities (serious brain injury)
Why Quick Diagnosis of Stroke Is Essential
In basic terms, a stroke stops the flow of oxygen to the brain by blocking the brain’s blood supply. A brain without oxygen can quickly lose living tissue and cells, causing brain and nerve damage. Restoring blood and oxygen to the brain as quickly as possible during a stroke can mean the difference between a full recovery and far worse consequences.
Yet, the incidence of stroke misdiagnosis remains high. Why? Because the medical community agrees that strokes are challenging to diagnose.
This means healthcare providers know they must:
• Take extra precautions,
• Run all necessary tests,
• Ask comprehensive questions of the patient’s symptoms and history, and
• Go the “extra mile” to get to the right diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
If a patient is demonstrating stroke symptoms, such as slurred speech, major head pain and/or disorientation, a doctor has a duty to fully investigate the symptoms.
When a doctor or emergency care provider fails to recognize the signs of a stroke, fails to order necessary tests, or fails to administer blood-clot dissolving drugs immediately, it can be a case of medical negligence and malpractice.
Stroke misdiagnosis most often happens at the emergency room but can happen in any type of healthcare environment.
Stroke Misdiagnosis in Young Adults
Younger adults have an even greater rate of stroke misdiagnosis than other age groups. This is disheartening considering that there are an estimated 15,000 strokes per year in people under age 45.
New research presented at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference 2009 showed an overall misdiagnosis rate of nearly 15 percent among adults under age 38.
Compensation for Stroke Misdiagnosis
If a stroke misdiagnosis or delay in immediate stroke treatment has cost someone in your family their life or their quality of life, a medical malpractice lawsuit may help you recover damages in the form of financial compensation.
About the Author
For residents in the New York area, the website resources available from the New York medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. can provide additional information.
New York Bicycle Accident personal injury attorneys