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Ohio Failure to Diagnose and Treat a Stroke Lawyers
Caring advocacy when hospitals, doctors, and emergency providers fail their patients
Healthcare providers should know the signs and symptoms of strokes. Prompt treatment can mean the difference between life and death. Administering tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a clot-busting medication for ischemic strokes can save a life – if the drug is administered promptly after symptoms appear. At Crandall & Pera Law, we work with cardiologists and other healthcare professionals to build cases for victims when healthcare providers commit medical malpractice. Our Ohio failure to diagnose and treat lawyers demand compensation if the delays caused injuries or tragically caused the life of your loved one.
In one case, we obtained a $7.1 million settlement of a surgical malpractice case on behalf of our client, who suffered partial paralysis due to a stroke.
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Table of Contents
- What are the different types of strokes?
- What are the signs and symptoms of a stroke?
- How do medical providers diagnose strokes in Ohio?
- How should strokes be treated in Ohio?
- Who is responsible for delays in the diagnosis and treatment of strokes?
- How do you fight to show a physician or another healthcare provider was negligent?
- What damages can delays in the diagnosis or treatment of strokes cause in Ohio?
- Do you have an Ohio lawyer near me who can handle my stroke-related case?
What are the different types of strokes?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the two main types of strokes are ischemic strokes (caused by blockage of an artery or possibly a vein) and hemorrhagic strokes caused by bleeding). About 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes.
With an ischemic stroke, a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain becomes blocked. Within minutes of the blockage, brain cells and tissues start to die due to the lack of oxygen and nutrients. Ischemic strokes are further classified into thrombotic strokes (“a blood clot develops in the blood vessels inside the brain”) and embolic strokes (the clot or plaque debris develops outside the brain and then “travels to one of the blood vessels in the brain through the bloodstream.”)
Thrombotic strikes are common among the elderly, especially if they have high cholesterol, diabetes, or atherosclerosis. “Thrombotic strokes may be preceded by one or more "mini-strokes," called transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs.” “Although usually mild and transient, the symptoms caused by a TIA are similar to those caused by a stroke.” Embolic strokes are often due to heart disease or heart surgery. “About 15% of embolic strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation.”
A hemorrhagic stroke “occurs when a blood vessel that supplies the brain ruptures and bleeds.” Hemorrhagic strokes are classified into intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage.
What are the signs and symptoms of a stroke?
According to the Mayo Clinic, the signs and symptoms of a stroke include:
- Difficulty speaking and understanding what others are saying
- Weakness, numbness, or paralysis in the face, leg, or arm, which often affects only one side of the body
- Vision difficulties in one or both eyes, including blurred or blackened vision of either or both eyes
- Headaches and dizziness
- Difficulty keeping one’s balance
The possible complications of a stroke include paralysis on one or both sides of the body, difficulty talking and swallowing, memory loss, difficulty thinking, depression and other emotional symptoms, pain, numbness, and changes in behavior, such as being more withdrawn.
How do medical providers diagnose strokes in Ohio?
Prompt action is essential to remove any blockages, which means ER doctors, nursing homes, and other healthcare providers need to quickly understand whether a patient is having a stroke and what type of stroke.
Common diagnostic tests for stroke include the following:
- A physical exam that includes listening to your heart and checking your blood pressure.
- A blood test that checks for blood clots and the level of your blood sugar. Blood tests can also test for infections.
- A CT scan of brain tissue damage by a stroke uses multiple X-rays to look for bleeding in the brain, an ischemic stroke, a tumor, or other disorders. Doctors may also use a dye to “view the blood vessels in the neck and brain in greater detail. This type of test is called a computerized tomography angiography.”
- An MRI to determine if brain tissue was damaged by an ischemic stroke and brain hemorrhages.
- A carotid ultrasound uses sound waves to “show buildup of fatty deposits called plaques and blood flow in the carotid arteries.”
- A cerebral angiogram “provides a detailed view of arteries in the brain and neck.”
- An echocardiogram “uses sound waves to create detailed images of the heart. An echocardiogram can find a source of clots in the heart that may have traveled to the brain and caused a stroke.”
How should strokes be treated in Ohio?
Ischemic stroke
If a patient is having an ischemic stroke, the flow of blood to the brain must be promptly restored. The common treatment for an ischemic stroke is the use of emergency IV medicine to break up the blood clot. This treatment must be administered within 4.5 hours from the time symptoms begin. The sooner, the better.
The medicine that is commonly given (the gold standard) is recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). “The two types of TPA are alteplase (Activase) and tenecteplase (TNKase).” A doctor will typically administer an injection of TPA within three hours of the person having a stroke, although sometimes, it’s possible to administer it within 4.5 hours following the start of symptoms.
Other treatments for an ischemic stroke include emergency endovascular procedures that “treat ischemic strokes directly inside the blocked blood vessel.” Endovascular therapy must also be performed as soon as possible. Two types of endovascular therapy include:
- Delivering medicines directly to the brain through a catheter. “The catheter is moved through the arteries to the brain to deliver TPA directly where the stroke is happening.” This method allows a little more time to treat compared to injected TPA, but quick administration is still important.
- Removing the clot with a stent retriever.“A device attached to a catheter can directly remove the clot from the blocked blood vessel in the brain.” This procedure is often used for patients with large clots – in combination with injected TPA. “The time window when these procedures can be considered has been expanding due to newer imaging technology.”
Another stroke treatment procedure focuses on opening up an artery that is narrowed by plaque. Doctors may use either a carotid endarterectomy procedure or angioplasty combined with stents.
Hemorrhagic stroke
Emergency treatment for a hemorrhagic stroke “focuses on controlling the bleeding and reducing pressure in the brain caused by excess fluid.”
Emergency measures include addressing a patient’s use of blood thinner, medications (to prevent seizures and spasms and lower blood pressure in the brain), and a transfusion of blood products. Different types of surgical procedures, including surgical clipping, coiling (also known as endovascular embolization), “surgical removal of a tangle of thin-walled blood vessels, and stereotactic radiosurgery may be performed.”
Stroke care varies depending on the severity of the stroke, the side of the brain that was damaged, and many other factors. Most stroke victims enter a rehabilitation program under the care of a neurologist, physiatrist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, and many other healthcare providers.
Who is responsible for delays in the diagnosis and treatment of strokes?
At Crandall & Pera, we file medical malpractice complaints against every responsible healthcare provider. These providers may include:
- Emergency doctors
- Primary care doctors
- Nursing home doctors
- Cardiologists
- Neurologists and neurosurgeons
- Nurses and PAs
- Hospitals
- Radiologists
- Lab technicians
- Other negligent health professionals
How do you fight to show a physician or another healthcare provider was negligent?
Our Ohio failure to diagnose and treat a stroke lawyers work with our network of healthcare professionals to show that medical malpractice occurred due to the following reasons, among others:
- Failure to recognize the risk factors for a stroke
- Failure to recognize the symptoms of stroke
- Failure to conduct a timely and proper neurological exam
- Failure to obtain a medical history
- Failure to order the correct diagnostic tests
- Failure to diagnose various heart disorders prior to the onset of the stroke
- Failure to refer the patient to appropriate specialists or a stroke center
- Failure to follow hospital stroke protocols
- Not administering tPA within the required time frame
- Failure to read the diagnostic tests properly
- Surgical mistakes
- ER mistakes
- Hospital negligence
- Post-surgery mistakes
The possible complications and consequences of an improper diagnosis and incompetent treatment include:
- A patient has a full-scale stroke – that was preventable
- A permanent disability
- Paralysis
- Vision loss
- Speech difficulties
- Muscle weakness
- Cognitive disorders
- Emotional disorders
- A lack of independence
- An inability to enjoy life’s pleasures
- Loss of consortium
What damages can delays in the diagnosis or treatment of strokes cause in Ohio?
A patient’s damages include all their current and future:
- Medical bills
- Lost income and earning potential
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
If a loved one dies due to the failure to timely diagnose or treat a stroke, we file a wrongful death claim on behalf of the family members.
Do you have an Ohio lawyer near me who can handle my stroke-related case?
We understand how devastated you are. Timely care for a stroke could have spared you the severe consequences of this condition – or saved the life of your loved one. At Crandall & Pera Law, we represent stroke victims and families from our office located at 850 Euclid Ave #1122, Cleveland, OH 44114. We also maintain offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, Chesterland and Chagrin Falls and can meet stroke victims at their homes or a healthcare facility when necessary. Our lawyers also discuss cases by phone and through online conferences.
We’re prepared to answer all your questions and guide you through the claims process.
Talk with our Ohio medical malpractice lawyers now
Medical providers must understand how catastrophic failing to diagnose or treat a stroke can be. At Crandall & Pera Law, we have the experience and medical relationships to hold hospitals, physicians, and other health professionals accountable when they fail to act quickly and competently when a patient has stroke symptoms. Our Ohio failure to diagnose and treat stroke lawyers have helped many victims of medical malpractice obtain strong recoveries. To schedule a free consultation, call us or submit our contact form. We handle personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis.