Understanding the Implications of Stroke Misdiagnosis

On average, every 53 seconds a person in the United States suffers a stroke.

The American Stroke Association revealed that around 500,000 individuals experience a stroke every year. Approximately one-third of these individuals die from the stroke while around 200,000 are disabled. A person in the United States experiences a stroke once in every fifty-three seconds. There are around three million individuals who are dealing with the ill effects of surviving a stroke at some point in their lives.

Types of Strokes

High blood pressure or untreated hypertension is regarded as the main cause of strokes. Strokes are categorized into two types – ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes occur when brain tissues are damaged due to the absence of oxygen while hemorrhagic strokes occur when blood vessels in the brain rupture. A transient ischemic attack (TIA), or mini-stroke, is an indicator of an imminent stroke. Around 30 percent of individuals who suffer a TIA experience a stroke after some time.

Transient Ischemic Attack

TIA begins when blood flow to a particular region in the brain is momentarily stopped or decreased. In this situation, blood flow inside an artery going into the brain is obstructed by a blood clot. This affects brain cells and results in a number of symptoms, including behavioural changes, slurred speech, blurred vision, weakness, or the loss of sensation along the side of the body.

Symptoms of TIA normally last for thirty minutes and then the blood flow starts again. It is critical to consider any TIA symptoms as an emergency, and a medical professional who overlooks stroke indicators may be held liable for medical negligence.

Misdiagnosis of Stroke

Numerous types of stroke misdiagnosis may have an effect on a victim receiving proper stroke treatment:

• Lack of effective monitoring of residents of nursing homes for stroke indicators.
• Inability to recognize stroke indicators, such as disorientation, drawn out weariness, and weakness along the side of the body.
• Failure to perform or suitably check diagnostic tests, such as CT, MRI brain scans, and blood tests.
• Failure to recognize intracranial haemorrhage.
• Inability to provide thrombolytic medication to individuals suffering from acute ischemic stroke.

Medical Malpractice for Misdiagnosis

Among the tests used in the proper diagnosis of a stroke are computed tomography (CT), or CAT scans, electroencephalogram (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and blood tests. It is not easy to come to a conclusion and provide evidence for mistakes made by a medical professional when it comes to cases of stroke misdiagnosis. It is essential to conduct a thorough investigation in order to collect all the information required for the case. Medical experts may be needed to give details about the case. A competent Missouri medical malpractice attorney will have the resources to help a victim of misdiagnois receive the correct compensation.

Failure to provide a diagnosis for a stroke and provide appropriate treatment may have serious consequences, including permanent brain damage or death. It may be necessary to file a medical malpractice claim when an individual suffers a stroke and the doctor failed to diagnose it or delayed in making a diagnosis of the condition.

Zevan and Davidson Law Firm, LLC

(314) 588-7200