Northeast Ohio Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke Misdiagnosis Lawsuits
The leading cause of adult disability in the United States is stroke. Early recognition of a stroke can prevent significant harm and can help to avoid disability or death.
Types of Strokes
- Ischemic Stroke: caused by a blood clot which restricts blood flow to the brain
- Transient Ischemic Attach (TIA): also known as a mini-stroke. They usually resolve by themselves within 30 minutes, but may be an indicator of a future serious stroke
- Hemorrhagic Stroke: caused when a blood vessel ruptures in the brain
Symptoms of Strokes
- Paralysis or numbness to an arm, the face or a leg, usually on one side of the body
- Inability to speak properly
- Inability to comprehend other's speech
- Severe and sudden headache
- Changes in vision (e.g. blurred, double vision)
- Fainting
- Dizziness
- Confusion
Doctors have a duty to recognize the signs of stroke and then take the necessary steps to treat. Treatment providers also have a duty to ask about certain risk factors concerning a patient experiencing stroke symptoms, which include:
- Certain medications that increase the risk of stroke
- TIAs
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Prior heart attacks
- Prior strokes
- Diabetes
- Family members that have suffered strokes
- Advanced age
- Atrial fibrillation
- Carotid artery disease
When doctors fail to recognize the signs of stroke and fail to identify certain risk factors in a possible stroke patient, delays in diagnosis can occur leading to irreversible damage or death.
Examples of Stroke Delay in Diagnosis
There are many circumstances in which doctors fail to diagnose strokes. Examples include:
- Failure to take a proper medical history
- Failure to evaluate a patient's medical history
- Failure to ask about the risk factors of stroke identified above
- Failure to refer the patient for the appropriate tests
- Failure to interpret diagnostic tests properly
- Lab error
- Failure to communicate with other treatment providers
Typical treatment for stroke victims include anti-clotting medications and/or surgery. A delay in the diagnose of a stroke can cause permanent injury, including
- Death
- Paralysis
- Permanent and continuous pain
- Speech impairment
- Loss of memory
- Behavioral changes
Victims of strokes face very long periods of recovery and rehabilitation. The sooner a stroke is diagnosed the better chance for recovery a patient has. If you or a loved one has suffered a stroke leading to death or disability and you suspect that a delay in diagnosis may have occurred please contact our experienced Cleveland lawyers today.
