When a doctor misdiagnoses a heart attack, it can be a fatal mistake. Any misdiagnosis is problematic, but a heart attack is an emergency, so that error could waste crucial time and cost someone their life.
For instance, a doctor may believe that a patient is actually having an anxiety attack, suffering from indigestion or simply experiencing an overwhelming level of stress. But if this leads the doctor to prescribe rest and relaxation at home, perhaps giving the patient a mild sedative or antacids, it does not treat the underlying problem. The patient could pass away without ever seeing a heart specialist who could have saved their life.
Even a delay in diagnosis can be problematic. The medical team may eventually make the correct diagnosis and realize that the patient is having a heart attack, but if they have wasted 30 minutes or an hour of critical time when they could have been offering life-saving care, the patient could suffer irreversible damage, even if they survive.
This happens more often to women
One interesting thing to note is that these mistakes are more likely for female heart attack patients than they are for male patients.
Part of the issue is that many doctors look for male heart attack symptoms. But women tend to present a different set of symptoms, which may not include things like shortness of breath or chest pain. As such, women are more likely to be the victims of significant medical malpractice.
A family’s legal options
If someone passes away due to medical malpractice, such as a misdiagnosis or a delayed diagnosis, it is important for family members to understand all of the legal options they have moving forward.