Heart attacks and medical malpractice

Approximately 1.5 million heart attacks and strokes occur in the U.S. each year. Heart attacks or myocardial infarctions require swift diagnosis and treatment to reduce the risk of serious medical complications such as:

  • Heart rhythm problems
  • Heart valve problems
  • Kidney damage and/or failure
  • Liver damage
  • Anemia
  • Lung problems such as pulmonary edema

If you’ve had a heart attack, lower your risk of having problems in the future by making a change in lifestyle – eating a healthier diet, getting more exercise, not smoking, and managing stress.

Unfortunately, according to an article in the journal, Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, studies have shown that approximately 11,000 to 40,000 cases of acute myocardial infarction are misdiagnosed each year in ER’s across the country. 

A delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of a heart attack may result in long-term or lasting damage to the heart and/or other organs, or unnecessary death. Medical malpractice cases involving negligence in making a timely and accurate diagnosis are one of the most common types of malpractice litigation.

The healthcare professionals in the ER that could be held responsible for misdiagnosing or failing to diagnose a heart attack:

  • ER physicians
  • Triage nurses
  • Consulting cardiologists 
  • Consulting physicians
  • Interns

The signs they missed

Studies have shown that women are at a higher risk of having a heart attack misdiagnosed because they often present with atypical symptoms in the ER, including:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Back pain
  • Heaviness of arms
  • Fatigue
  • Epigastric burning
  • Nausea/vomiting
  • Trouble sleeping

More commonly recognized symptoms in men (but also could be present in women) include:

  • Chest pain
  • Pain in one or both arms or shoulder
  • Neck and jaw pain
  • Cold sweats

Sadly, many female patients end up being misdiagnosed because they do not fit the profile of a heart attack that healthcare professionals expect to see.

Medical malpractice claims can be brought against a healthcare professional if their misdiagnosis and/or failure to treat due to negligence resulted in injury to the patient. If the heart attack results in death, the patient’s family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit for damages.

Your next steps

If you believe that you have been injured due to a misdiagnosed heart attack, obtain a medical malpractice attorney that has successfully litigated against the tactics that hospital attorneys and insurance companies use to try and shift blame onto the victim to avoid having to pay the claim. 

 In heart attack malpractice cases, monetary compensation could include:

  • Medical bills
  • Hospital bills
  • Long-term care expenses
  • Rehab bills
  • Current and future loss of wages

Non-economic damages could include:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of quality of life

Scott S. Harris, San Diego medical malpractice attorney, has been fighting for victims of medical negligence for over 30 years.