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What is a Stroke?
A stroke occurs when there is an interruption of blood to the brain. This interruption of blood (and therefore oxygen) to the brain causes brain tissue to die, leaving the part of the brain that has been deprived of blood to be unable to function. The results of a stroke include partial paralysis, memory loss and/or dementia.
Strokes can be caused by either a blood clot (also called an embolus or thrombus) plugging a blood vessel in the brain, or by bleeding in the brain (a hemorrhage.) Although the symptoms of a stroke may be the same in either case, the treatment for strokes varies greatly depending on the source of the blood flow interruption. Therefore, in addition to quickly diagnosing an ongoing or impending stroke, physicians need to make a timely diagnoses of the cause of the stroke -- initiating the right tests and proper treatments.
What are the Symptoms of a Stroke?
The symptoms of a stroke vary depending on the extent of damage to the brain and which part of the brain is affected, but typically include:
- severe headache
- numbness in the face or extremities
- slurring or loss of speech
- fainting
- rapid heart beat or hypertension
- loss of balance
- paralysis on one side
- seizures
- nausea
In addition, a patient may experience a warning sign called a transient ischemic attack (or TIA) before an actual stroke. These TIAs, or mini-strokes are caused by blood supply to the brain being cut off for a short time, without causing any permanent damage. It is the health care professional's job to recognize the symptoms of a TIA and develop a treatment plan to try to prevent a full-scale stroke.
How Can Malpractice Occur with Strokes?
It is critical that a physician immediately diagnose the symptoms of a stroke as well as the cause of the stroke. Significant errors -- and serious complications -- can occur when a doctor does not recognize the warning signs of a stroke and does not order an immediate CAT scan to determine whether the stroke is due to a clot or a hemorrhage.
Failure to quickly diagnose a stroke and pinpoint the source of the stroke can lead to major treatment errors which may constitute medical malpractice.
In addition, failure of a health care professional to recognize the symptoms of a TIA as an increased risk factor for an impending stroke may also indicate malpractice.
Aneurysms
In regard to aneurysms (which are a bulging of a blood vessel in the brain), although they may burst without warning, malpractice may occur if a doctor does not heed the warning sign of a blinding headache in an at-risk patient, or does not perform corrective surgery properly.
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