Many Americans suffer from heart disease and other coronary ailments due to poor diet, lack of exercise, and other factors. One common heart issue is a heart attack, also known as an atrial myocardial infarction (AMI). A heart attack occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart. The affected tissue loses oxygen and dies.
Because heart attacks are so common, doctors should be aware of the symptoms. They include chest pain, pain in the arms, neck pain, back pain, nausea, shortness of breath, and cold sweats. When doctors fail to recognize the symptoms, the patient’s condition can quickly worsen, causing death.
If your doctor failed to diagnose a heart attack in a timely manner, you may be able to file a claim against the negligent parties. Seek legal help from the Fort Lauderdale heart attack malpractice lawyers at Freidin Brown, P.A.
What is Heart Attack Malpractice?
Heart attack malpractice typically occurs in two ways:
- The health care provider fails to diagnose a heart attack. The doctor may fail to recognize the symptoms, fail to order proper lab screenings, or diagnose the heart attack as something else.
- The health care provider implements the wrong treatment plan. If the doctor does not thoroughly assess the patient’s symptoms or fails to carefully review patient charts, then the patient could receive the wrong medication. The doctor may administer drugs that can lead to allergic reactions or other serious side effects.
Heart attack symptoms are so universally known that doctors should be able to identify them right away. However, heart attacks are often misdiagnosed as heartburn, indigestion, and other non-life-threatening ailments.
That’s why doctors need to look at a few things before making a diagnosis:
- Did they physically examine the patient?
- Do the records reflect common heart attack symptoms?
- Is there a family history of heart disease?
- Were the proper tests conducted?
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Onset of Heart Attack Symptoms
Heart attack symptoms tend to come about slowly and persist for several minutes. They may go away and come back again, or they may occur off and on over the course of several hours.
Chest pain that lasts for several weeks or months is not a heart attack, but a person should not wait to see how long the pain lasts. It is important to seek emergency treatment promptly — for best results, within 90 minutes.
Without prompt treatment, a heart attack can lead to complications such as arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), cardiogenic shock (damage to the heart muscle), and heart failure (when the heart can no longer pump blood efficiently).
Contact Freidin Brown, P.A. Today
Heart attacks happen every minute in the United States. While most people do survive one, it is possible to suffer a worsened health condition or even death because of one.
Freidin Brown, P.A. can help you handle a claim and hold your doctor responsible for their mistakes. Contact our Fort Lauderdale heart attack malpractice lawyers to schedule a free consultation. Fill out the online form or call us today.