Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.  While some deaths cannot be prevented by even the best doctors, some fatalities could be prevented if doctors properly diagnosed and treated heart attacks.

Why Doctors Fail to Diagnose Heart Attacks

Emergency room doctors, primary care doctors, and cardiologists are all trained to recognize the symptoms of heart attacks. However, that training does not ensure that a proper diagnosis will be made.  Specifically, a heart attack misdiagnosis can occur when:

• A Doctor Fails to Consider Atypical Heart Attack Symptoms:  chest and arm pain are common symptoms of heart attacks in some patients, but not in all patients.  Other patients experience more general symptoms of heart attacks such as fatigue, dizziness and weakness.  If these symptoms are not recognized as potential heart attack symptoms, then the patient may not receive the necessary care to save his or her life.
• A Doctor Fails to Consider Heart Attacks in Women and Young Men:  middle aged and older men are more likely to suffer from heart attacks.  Yet, heart attacks are not uncommon in women and young men.  When a woman or young man presents with potential heart attack symptoms they are more likely to be misdiagnosed and have their symptoms dismissed as other conditions.
• A Doctor Fails to Consider Medical History or Conduct Necessary Tests:  in cases where a patient presents with atypical heart attack symptoms, where the patient does not fit the general profile of a heart attack patient, or where the doctor is simply distracted, the doctor may fail to take a full medical history or conduct necessary tests to determine if a heart attack occurred.

What Happens When a Heart Attack is Misdiagnosed

As Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers, we represent clients who have been hurt by heart attack misdiagnoses.  We represent the spouses, parents and children who are left behind when a patient dies from a heart attack misdiagnosis.   We represent patients who have suffered strokes, paralysis and other life changing consequences after a doctor’s failure to diagnose a heart attack.

If you have been misdiagnosed and suffered harm, then we may be able to represent you.  Contact an Atlanta medical malpractice attorney at the Dover Law Firm today.  We can be reached at 770.518.1133 or via our online contact form.

We also invite you to download our free report, The Heart Report: Common Diseases and Medical Errors for more information.