Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States today. About one in every five deaths occurs because of a heart attack. It is estimated that almost half of these deaths happen before the patient receives medical attention. With this statistic in mind, it is important that when a patient suffering from a heart attack does get medical attention, they are diagnosed and treated swiftly and properly so as to prevent permanent injury or wrongful death.

Generally, heart attacks occur when arteries that supply the heart with blood become blocked by blood clots. Over the years, cholesterol can build as plaque inside the arteries, preventing adequate amounts of blood from reaching the heart. This condition is called angina. If this plaque ruptures, it can a blockage that stops blood flow entirely, resulting in a heart attack.

Heart attacks can be difficult to recognize, although classic symptoms include chest pain, upper body pain (especially in one or both arms), shortness of breath, or extreme fatigue. Women are more likely to experience nausea and upper abdominal pain as primary symptoms.

It is important that doctors fully examine a patient suffering from any of the above symptoms, even if the patient seems to be functional or doesn’t think they are having a heart attack. Many patients mistake their heart attack symptoms for heartburn, reflux, or even angina, and it is up to the doctor to correctly diagnose and treat the heart attack. Misdiagnosis happens most often in emergency rooms, where we have seen patients released from care with instructions to obtain over the counter indigestion medication. It is critical to assess a patient’s risk factors for heart attack, ordering proper tests to determine the state of a patient’s heart, and thoroughly investigating a patient’s pain and discomfort. Proper referral is important so that ER patients understand that their care in an emergency room may not be definitive. Some of the most common tests that can indicate a heart attack are electrocardiograms (EKG), blood tests, angiograms, echocardiograms, CT scans, and Thallium Stress Tests.

As previously mentioned, medical malpractice can occur when a heart attack patient is in emergency care. Some common treatments include administering oxygen, administering drugs like tPA that will break up blood clots, administering beta blockers, which are drugs that decrease the workload carried by the heart, administering anticoagulants that stop new blood clots from forming, and administering pain medication that alleviates some of a patient’s discomfort.

Some patients require definitive treatment at that time and it is the responsibility of the emergency medicine team to properly refer the patient or provide appropriate bridging care. Many surgical procedures can save lives if timely undertaken including emergency bypass surgery. Failure on the part of emergency care providers to take the proper course of action in immediate response to a heart attack can cause permanent damage to the heart or sometimes the death of a patient. In California the law requires that only an emergency medicine physician with specific qualifications may testify against another emergency medicine physician. Our office has successfully litigated many of these cases.

f you believe that you or someone you know has been the victim of malpractice in the case of a heart attack, do not delay in contacting the Law Office of Scott Righthand for your free consultation.