Heart Attacks

Heart attacks are one of the scariest and most misdiagnosed conditions in emergency rooms. If you go into an emergency room complaining of chest pain, shortness of breath, indigestion or other related symptoms, you should have a doctor that fully diagnoses whatever is going on. Heart attack misdiagnosis is sadly, quite common for women. Any person who presents with symptoms associated with a heart attack should be fully examined to determine exactly what’s going on. A misdiagnosis can lead to catastrophic injury or death to a patient. If a loved one had a heart attack misdiagnosed at an emergency room or doctor’s office, you need to speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible about your case.

Heart Attack Misdiagnosis

Heart attacks are time sensitive conditions. Immediate medical intervention and treatment are necessary for the best possible outcome. If diagnosis is delayed or if the wrong diagnosis is made, lives are at stake. Unfortunately, this is one of the most common types of emergency room errors. If you are sent home because of a misdiagnosis, you could suffer irreparable damage or even death. Not everybody survives being sent home from a heart attack misdiagnosis. Even minutes of delay can cause permanent damage.

Women and Heart Attacks

Although heart disease and heart attacks are one of the most common killers of women, many doctors and medical professionals still do not take women’s pain seriously. Just because the symptoms don’t exactly mimic that of an older male’s symptoms, that doesn’t mean that a heart attack isn’t happening. It’s not just women that can suffer from heart attack misdiagnosis. Younger people and people of color are also frequently misdiagnosed. Emergency room doctors, nurses and medical professionals need to listen to their patients and take their pain seriously. If you’re only looking for a ‘typical’ type of heart attack patient, you’re going to miss a lot of people and endanger their lives.

Emergency Room Errors 

Unfortunately, medical errors are still a leading cause of death for people in the U.S. Errors in the emergency room can put lives at risk. If malpractice, errors or a misdiagnosis causes a person to lose his or her life or lose a loved one, the medical professionals involved need to be held accountable. Deaths caused by medical errors in the emergency room and other medical settings are completely preventable.

Workplace Heart Attacks 

In addition to medical malpractice and misdiagnosis, heart attacks at the workplace or due to job stress can also be devastating for patients and their families. In particularly high-pressure or volatile workplaces, there could be a risk for unnecessary and dangerous stress. A high-stress workplace can lead to heart disease and heart attacks. A heart attack that happens on the job needs to be fully evaluated and investigated. If you work in a jobsite with exposure to electrical components, that will need to be taken into consideration and carefully evaluated. If you suffered a particularly difficult workplace emotional trauma prior to the heart attack, let your doctor and your lawyer know.