Stroke Statistics and Misdiagnosis Trends

While some data reveals encouraging signs about the decreasing death rate from stroke over the last decade, other statistics may be cause for alarm. According to the American Heart Association (AHA) Fact Sheet on stroke data, this medical condition is responsible for around 1 of every 19 deaths in the US every year. This rate amounts to one stroke-related fatality every three-and-a-half minutes. Those who survive a stroke can experience a wide range of long-term medical complications, which vary depending on the area of the brain affected and the physical health of the patient.

However, another factor that impacts the long-term effects of stroke is getting proper, prompt treatment to minimize the impact on brain tissue. It is wise to consider legal options for a failure to diagnose stroke claim under Florida law, and some additional information may be useful. 

Statistics on Stroke and Misdiagnosis 

Stroke falls generally under the umbrella of cardiovascular disease (CVD), a category that also includes certain heart conditions, deep vein thrombosis, coronary disorders, and other conditions. When separated from other forms of CVD, stroke is listed as the Number 5 cause of death in the US, at 150,000 deaths annually. In addition:

• Every year, almost 800,000 people living in the US have a stroke. For approximately 610,000 of them, the incident is a first stroke.
• Around 87 percent of all strokes are ischemic, which means there is a blockage that disrupts blood flow to the brain. The other common type of stroke is hemorrhagic, in which an artery in the brain begins bleeding into surrounding tissue.
• Men are more likely than women to have a stroke, and age is a factor. Three-quarters of strokes occur in adults aged 65 or older.
• Some risk factors for stroke are related to lifestyle, including obesity, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, and alcohol and drug abuse. 

How Health Care Providers Fail to Diagnose Stroke 

The brain is a complicated system, which means there can be challenges with diagnosing a stroke. Still, physicians are held to a standard of care under Florida medical malpractice laws. They are required to deliver treatment in accordance with what another health care provider with the same training would do under the same circumstances. A failure to diagnose stroke may be actionable when a doctor falls below the standard of care related to:

• Ordering appropriate tests for stroke
• Reviewing the patient’s medical history for risk factors
• Consulting with neurologists
• Documenting timing of symptom onset, since certain treatments must be administered within 4.5 hours

Consult with a Florida Medical Malpractice Lawyer About Failure to Diagnose Stroke 

If you have concerns about diagnosis errors and care for stroke, please contact our Miami failure to diagnose stroke lawyers Freidin Brown, P.A. to set up a free consultation. We can meet with you at our offices. Once we evaluate your circumstances, an attorney can explain your legal remedies under Florida medical malpractice laws.

Source:

heart.org/-/media/PHD-Files-2/Science-News/2/2022-Heart-and-Stroke-Stat-Update/2022-Stat-Update-At-a-Glance.pdf