By now, our readers probably know that we believe that all patients deserve to get an accurate diagnosis when they go to a doctor. When doctors misdiagnose a patient, the patient might suffer serious injuries. One such instance that our Kentucky residents might be interested in is if a doctor doesn’t properly diagnose a heart attack in a patient.
When a patient is having a heart attack, there is a 90-minute window that doctors consider the optimal time to reopen the blocked artery. This very short window means that doctors can’t waste time making a diagnosis of a heart attack. Every minute the patient goes without the life-saving procedure necessary to open up the artery can spell devastation for the patient. Damage to the delicate heart muscle is one of the possible injuries a patient might suffer if a doctor lollygags in making the diagnosis.
Contrary to popular belief, most heart attacks aren’t the dramatic renditions people see on television shows. Instead, the symptoms of a heart attack can vary greatly from one patient to the next. Discomfort in the check, shortness of breath, upper body pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, changes in heart rhythm and breaking out in a cold sweat are some common signs of a heart attack.
For women, the signs of a heart attack are similar to those of other conditions. A woman might simply feel ill, have weakness, notice mild upper body discomfort or have trouble sleeping.
When you consider the severity of the impact failing to diagnose a heart attack can have on a patient, it is easy to see why rapid diagnosis is imperative. Anyone who has suffered because a doctor didn’t diagnose a heart attack or didn’t act quickly on the diagnosis has the right to seek compensation from the doctor. You don’t have to stand by idly and let the doctor get away with failing to diagnose your heart attack.
