Doctors might misdiagnose heart attacks for several reasons, such as not recognizing the symptoms, failing to order the proper tests, or misreading test results. A heart attack misdiagnosis can lead to permanent heart damage and death.
Doctors and other health care professionals in Florida must provide a level of care that another reasonable doctor would under the same circumstances. If your doctor misdiagnosed your heart attack and you suffered resulting harm, you can file a lawsuit with the help of an experienced medical malpractice attorney.
“The lawyers at FHVG have handled numerous cases involving the failure to timely diagnose and/or treat a heart attack. We know first hand how devastating it can be when a heart attack is not properly treated. We are here to guide you through this process and fight for your rights when you have been harmed by the negligence of a physician or hospital.”
How Does a Heart Attack Misdiagnosis Occur?
There are several reasons why health care professionals misdiagnose heart attacks. When they make errors, thus not providing the level of care required by Florida’s medical malpractice law, victims can file suit to pursue compensation. Knowing the types of mistakes doctors and other health care professionals make can help you decide whether to contact an attorney.
Misinterpreting Symptoms
Some people might not suspect a heart attack and delay seeking medical attention because they don’t experience chest pain. They may mistake common atypical heart disease symptoms, such as radiating pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and fatigue, as signs of some other conditions.
Unfortunately, health care professionals also commonly attribute these symptoms to other conditions, turning patients away too soon. Not knowing what can be mistaken for a heart attack can lead to serious injuries and damages. Sometimes, physicians and nurses mistakenly believe a patient may be exaggerating their symptoms and when that happens, it can lead to devastating consequences.
Some conditions with symptoms that can mimic a heart attack include the following:
- Heatstroke
- Dehydration
- Indigestion
- Heartburn
- Angina
- Panic attack
An undiagnosed heart attack can also lead to medication errors. Doctors may fail to provide necessary heart medication but prescribe medications for a nonexistent condition. These drugs could cause additional harm.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and chronic heart disease may lead doctors to miss a heart attack. More than 2.3 million Floridians have diabetes, and an estimated 579,000 have the disease but are undiagnosed. People with diabetes may have nerve damage that hides some of the symptoms of heart attacks. Diabetes also leads to a higher risk of heart attack. It is also important to understand and inquire about a patients’ family history of heart disease, as that can be relevant to the diagnosis.
Chronic heart disease does not mean that a patient has had a heart attack, but it does increase the risks. If doctors fail to recognize that a patient has chronic heart disease, they may not recognize when a heart attack has occurred.
Bias
Doctors may also misdiagnose heart attacks based on age, gender, or other biases. Florida has the second largest population of individuals 65 years or older in the United States. Aging and older adults are especially prone to cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, when doctors don’t properly account for that, it often leads to misdiagnoses.
There is also a history of doctors missing the signs of heart attacks in women and not treating their heart problems as aggressively as they do men. As a result, women have higher rehospitalization rates and mortality rates. They are also underrepresented in cardiovascular clinical trials, making it even harder for doctors to treat them properly with new interventions.
Failure To Perform or Read Tests Properly
Doctors failing to perform the correct tests or misreading test results also contributes to misdiagnoses. The most common test doctors use to diagnose a heart attack is an electrocardiogram or EKG. If doctors fail to order this critical test or misread the results, they may misdiagnose heart attack victims.
To cut down on the number of heart attack misdiagnoses, doctors must acknowledge risk factors such as age, weight, and medical and family history. When these factors exist and patients display symptoms—whether typical or atypical—health care professionals must test for cardiovascular issues to avoid misdiagnosed heart attacks.
What To Do if You Think You Had a Heart Attack Misdiagnosis
If you have possibly had an undiagnosed heart attack, take action to protect your health and preserve evidence in case your doctor was negligent in your care. Steps you and your family can take include the following:
- Ask for additional diagnostic tests.
- Seek a second opinion from a cardiologist, perhaps at a highly rated Florida hospital such as Mayo Clinic-Jacksonville, , or UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
- Gather all medical records and test results related to the incident.
- Keep a journal of your symptoms, treatment, how medications affected you, and other factors you think are affecting your health.
- Explore legal options if you suspect negligence.
If you suspect your doctor misdiagnosed your heart attack, contact the award-winning heart attack misdiagnosis attorneys at Freedland Harwin Valori Gander. We will evaluate your case, collect critical evidence, deal with the insurance companies, and fight for compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages.
Our Florida Lawyers Can Review Your Heart Attack Misdiagnosis Case
For over 20 years, our Florida medical malpractice attorneys have helped people who experienced harm at the hands of negligent health care workers and organizations. We have local and national recognition for our success and have recovered over $2.6 billion for our deserving clients.
We collected $2.6 million on behalf of a spouse who lost her husband when he had a minor heart attack in the hospital before a non-emergent orthopedic procedure and his physicians failed to diagnose it and he died during surgery.
Our results include a $2.5 million medical malpractice settlement for failure to timely diagnose and treat a stroke that led to partial paralysis and severe aphasia.
We have also successfully handled cases involving the failure to properly treat atrial fibrillation, that is a condition where there is an irregular heart rhythm that begins in your heart’s upper chambers.
We take our heart attack misdiagnosis cases on a contingency basis. You will pay no upfront costs and only pay us if and when we win.
If you have concerns about a possible heart attack misdiagnosis, call our failure to diagnose attorneys today at 954-467-6400 or complete our online form for a free consultation.
