Los Angeles Heart Attack Misdiagnosis in the ER
A heart attack is one of the most time-sensitive medical emergencies a person can experience. If an ER physician fails to recognize the warning signs, the consequences for the victim can be catastrophic and potentially life-threatening. If you or a loved one suffered serious harm because an emergency room doctor in Los Angeles, California, missed a heart attack diagnosis, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim for compensation.
Dr. Bruce G. Fagel is both a physician and a trial attorney, which gives our firm an unmatched ability to evaluate whether the ER team that treated you made a preventable clinical error. Contact us today for a free consultation; until then, read on for further information about how these cases with help from a Los Angeles emergency room malpractice lawyer work.
How Heart Attacks Are Often Missed in Los Angeles Emergency Rooms
Heart attacks are among the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions in emergency departments nationwide, and Los Angeles is no exception. When a patient arrives at the ER with cardiac symptoms like shortness of breath, the treating physician is expected to follow established diagnostic protocols. Failing to do so can allow a heart attack to go undetected until irreversible damage has already occurred.
Some of the most frequent errors our attorneys see in these cases include:
- Failing to order an EKG promptly upon arrival
- Misreading abnormalities on an EKG
- Not ordering cardiac enzyme blood tests such as troponin levels
- Discharging the patient with an incorrect diagnosis
- Ignoring a patient’s cardiac risk factors
- Failing to order follow-up testing when initial results are inconclusive
- Attributing symptoms to a less serious condition without adequately ruling out a cardiac event
Each of these failures represents a potential breach of the standard of care, which is one of the legal elements required to win a medical negligence claim.
Who Faces the Greatest Risk of a Missed Heart Attack Diagnosis?
While any patient can be the victim of a missed heart attack, certain groups face a disproportionately higher risk. Research has consistently shown that women are more likely to be sent home from the ER during a heart attack than men, in large part because their symptoms often present differently. Instead of the classic crushing chest pain, women may experience symptoms like jaw pain, nausea, and pressure in the upper back as well.
Younger adults are also frequently overlooked because ER physicians may assume that heart attacks only affect older patients. Similarly, patients from minority communities have been shown to receive less aggressive cardiac workups, leading to delays that can prove fatal.
However, at the end of the day, none of these factors excuses a missed diagnosis. Emergency room physicians are trained to consider atypical presentations, and failing to do so is negligence.
Contact Our Los Angeles Heart Attack Misdiagnosis Attorneys for a Free Consultation
If a Los Angeles emergency room sent you or your loved one home during a heart attack, the resulting harm may have been entirely preventable. Since our medical malpractice law firm is led by a doctor who is also a trial lawyer, we bring a level of clinical insight that most law offices simply cannot match.
Contact The Law Office of Dr. Bruce G. Fagel and Associates today at (800) 541-9376 for a free consultation. We’ve won billions of dollars for our clients and will work just as hard for you.
