Medical malpractice-Heart attack misdiagnosis

2008-10-14 18:50:52 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death)

Failure to diagnose symptoms of a heart attack may lead to wrongful deaths. In an interview with a West Palm Beach medical malpractice lawyer, a legal news reporters comments on the unnecessary deaths occurring in hospitals.

In the United States, leading cause of death is coronary artery disease, or narrowing of arteries supplying blood to the heart. This condition often results in a heart attack. In fact, about 1.1 million Americans suffer heart attacks every year, and about 460,000 of these attacks are fatal.

Medical staff at the doctor’s office or emergency room ignores complaints of chest pains and other key symptoms, makes the individual wait to see a doctor, or sends the person away without complete testing and proper treatment.

The mistakes doctor’s make in negligence:

* Failure to take seriously a patient’s complaints
* Failure to notice or understand the nature of a patient’s symptoms
* Failure to order the proper tests
* Failure to properly read or interpret test results
* Failure to refer a patient to a specialist for further testing or treatment

Sign of a possible heart attack:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort may feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. This may include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of breath. This often comes along with chest discomfort, but also can occur before chest discomfort.
• Other symptoms. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.

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